Usefulness of the Fibrosis-4 index and alanine aminotransferase at 1 year of nucleos(t)ide analog treatment for prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Aim: Nucleos(t)ide analogs do not completely prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics of a non-invasive liver fibrosis marker, the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, for predicting HCC development.

Methods: Among a total of 882 chronically hepatitis B virus infection-infected patients who were treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs, 472 patients without HCC history whose FIB-4 at baseline and 1 year of treatment was obtained were evaluated for the incidence of HCC.

Non-Achievement of Alanine Aminotransferase Normalization Associated with the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma during Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Therapies: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Patients with a chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who are treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) are still at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it has been clinically questioned whether patients with a high risk of HCC can be identified efficiently. We aimed to clarify the risk factors associated with the development of HCC during NA therapies. A total of 611 chronically HBV-infected patients without a history of HCC, who were treated with NAs for more than 6 months (median 72 months), from 2000 to 2021, were included from 16 hospitals in the Tohoku district in Japan.

Analysis of microvascular density in early gastric carcinoma using magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging.

Background And Study Aims: Intramucosal vascular density differs between differentiated and undifferentiated type gastric carcinomas. This study aimed to evaluate the microvascular density characteristics of these two types of carcinoma using magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI).

Patients And Methods: In total, 42 differentiated and 10 undifferentiated types were evaluated.

The influence of pioglitazone on the plasma amino acid profile in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Background And Aims: The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) ligand, piglitazone, enhances the degradation of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in adipose tissue. However, it remains unknown whether pioglitazone influences the plasma amino acids (AA) profile in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Thus, we investigated the relation between the therapeutic effect and the AA profile in NASH patients with a prospective study.

Enhanced intracellular retention of a hepatitis B virus strain associated with fulminant hepatitis.

A plasmid carrying 1.3-fold HBV genome was constructed from a HBV strain that caused five consecutive cases of fulminant hepatitis (pBFH2), and HepG2 cells were transfected with pBFH2 or its variants. The pBFH2 construct with A1762T/G1764A, G1862T, and G1896A showed the largest amount of core particle-associated intracellular HBV DNA, but no significant increase of extracellular HBV DNA in comparison with the wild construct, suggesting that these mutations might work together for retention of the replicative intermediates in the cells.

Sporadic acute hepatitis E occurred constantly during the last decade in northeast Japan.

Background: Recent studies have shown that indigenous hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains cause hepatitis E in industrialized countries. We aimed to clarify the characteristics of HEV infection in sporadic hepatitis patients during the last decade in Miyagi, northeast Japan.

Methods: We analyzed 94 serum samples obtained from acute or fulminant hepatitis patients of non-A, non-B, and non-C etiology between 1999 and 2008.

Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin for genotype Ib chronic hepatitis C in Japan.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha-2b (peg-IFN alpha-2b) plus ribavirin (RBV) therapy in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype Ib and a high viral load.

Methods: One hundred and twenty CHC patients (58.3% male) who received peg-IFN alpha-2b plus RBV therapy for 48 wk were enrolled.

A case of HIV co-infected with hepatitis B virus precore/core deletion mutant treated by entecavir.

We report a case of a HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-co-infected patient to whom entecavir (ETV) was administered initially before the notification regarding the potential mutagenesis effect on HIV against the nucleoside analog. Since initial evaluations indicated the advanced stage of chronic hepatitis B and preserved numbers of peripheral CD4+ lymphocytes without the manifestation of immunodeficiency, priority was given to the management of HBV. We started HBV therapy with ETV at a dose of 0.

Analysis of the entire nucleotide sequence of hepatitis B causing consecutive cases of fatal fulminant hepatitis in Miyagi Prefecture Japan.

We encountered five consecutive patients with fulminant hepatitis induced by acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in 2000--2001 in Japan. They had not had previous contact each other, and were referred to us from different hospitals. Although a 69-year-old woman could be rescued by intensive internal treatment, the four patients died.

Analysis of the full-length genome of hepatitis B virus in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with acute hepatitis B and transverse myelitis.

Although many extrahepatic manifestations have been described in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis B, there are few reports about neurological disorders. We describe a 55-year-old man who contracted acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and transverse myelitis. His neurological findings were gradually reduced along with the recovery from hepatitis.

Complete remission of a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor invasion in inferior vena cava and with pulmonary metastasis successfully treated with repeated arterial infusion chemotherapy.

We report the case of a patient having hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor invasion to the inferior vena cava and with multiple pulmonary metastases who was treated with repeated one-shot administration of epirubicin, cisplatin, and mitomycin C by hepatic artery and bronchial artery, which led to complete remission. A 72-year-old woman was diagnosed with infiltrative hepatocellular carcinoma with Vv3, multiple intrahepatic metastases, and multiple pulmonary metastases associated with compensated liver cirrhosis. One-shot infusion of epirubicin, cisplatin, and mitomycin C was performed through proper hepatic artery and bronchial artery for twice at eight weeks of intervals.

The high incidence of the emergence of entecavir-resistant mutants among patients infected with lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains to be one of the most prevailing infection in the world, causing chronic liver diseases. Although lamivudine has been effective to suppress HBV replication, longer durations of administration can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant mutant viruses, followed by reactivation of hepatic inflammation (breakthrough hepatitis). Moreover, the optimal period of administration as well as the effects of anti-viral nucleot(s)ide such as lamivudine, adefovir, and entecavir, has not been established.

Fulminant hepatic failure in a case of autoimmune hepatitis in hepatitis C during peg-interferon-alpha 2b plus ribavirin treatment.

A 27-year-old Caucasian female with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with interferon (IFN) who developed severe autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is described. The infecting viral strain was of genotype Ib and the pre-treatment HCV viral load was at a high level. The patient was treated with pegylated IFN-alpha 2b and ribavirin, and her HCV-RNA became negative at wk 12, but after that she developed fulminant hepatic failure.

Sustained clinical improvement of a patient with decompensated hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis after treatment with lamivudine monotherapy.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which causes liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, remains a major health problem in Asian countries. Recent development of vaccine for prevention is reported to be successful in reducing the size of chronically infected carriers, although the standard medical therapies have not been established up to now. In this report, we encountered a patient with decompensated HBV-related cirrhosis who exhibited the dramatic improvements after antiviral therapy.

Sustained viral response of a case of acute hepatitis C virus infection via needle-stick injury.

A 29-year-old nurse with a hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection caused by needle-stick injury was treated with interferon-beta starting about one year after the onset of acute hepatitis. The patient developed acute hepatitis C with symptoms of general fatigues, jaundice, and ascites 4 wk after the needle-stick injury. When these symptoms were presented, the patient was pregnant by artificial insemination.

Analysis of the entire nucleotide sequence of hepatitis B virus genotype B in the Philippines reveals a new subgenotype of genotype B.

The entire nucleotide sequences were determined for hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype B (HBV/B) genomes extracted from five patients in the Philippines and designated GenBank AB219426, AB219427, AB219428, AB219429 and AB219430. The serotype of the first four isolates was ayw and that of GenBank AB219430 was adw. Divergences of entire sequences were 1.

A case of acute hepatitis with positive autoantibodies who actually had hepatitis E virus infection.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the major causative agents of acute hepatitis in many developing countries. On the other hand, recent intensive investigation has revealed the existence of non-imported cases in industrialized countries. We encountered a sporadic patient with hepatitis E in 1999, who had had no recent travel abroad.

A patient with clinical features of acute hepatitis E viral infection and autoimmune hepatitis.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the major causative agents of acute hepatitis in many developing countries. Recent intensive examination has revealed the existence of non-imported cases in industrialized countries. The patient was a 25-year-old Japanese female with acute hepatitis.

Living related liver transplantation for acute fulminant hepatitis B: experience from two possible hyper-acute cases.

Fulminant hepatic failure, which is represented by fulminant hepatitis, is fatal in most cases unless prompt liver transplantation is performed. Even if liver transplantation is performed, irreversible neurological damage is often complicated. In this case report, we describe two cases of fulminant hepatitis induced by acute hepatitis B virus infection, both of which were successfully rescued by living related liver transplantation without significant complications.

Lack of common mutation in the alfa-subunit of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein and the polymorphism of CYP2E1 in three Japanese women with acute fatty liver of pregnancy/HELLP syndrome.

BACKGROUND:: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) and the HELLP syndrome are the serious disorders during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to clarify the prevalence of common mutation in the alpha-subunit of the mitochondrial tri-functional protein: hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD)/3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase/enoyl-CoA hydratase as well as to determine the correlation with the polymorphism of microsomal cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) in these conditions. METHODS:: Genomic DNA was extracted from three patients with AFLP/the HELLP syndrome.

Analysis of the entire nucleotide sequence of hepatitis B virus: characteristics of HBeAg-positive asymptomatic carriers, HBeAb positive asymptomatic carriers and patients with liver cirrhosis.

Entire nucleotide sequences of the HBV genome typical for various stages of HBV carriers are currently unknown. Comparison between conserved sequences in HBeAg-positive asymptomatic carriers (HBeAg ASCs) and mutations characteristic for HBeAb-positive asymptomatic carriers (HBeAb ASCs) are of clinical importance. In this study, we determined the entire nucleotide sequences of the HBV genome of patients infected with genotype C (HBeAg ASCs, 11 cases; HBeAb ASCs, seven cases; patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), five cases).

HBe seroconversion and HBs mutation among Japanese hepatitis B virus carriers.

It has been reported in Germany that seroconversion to anti-HBe or anti-HBs is frequently associated with genotype changes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from genotype A to genotype D. We previously reported that the HBeAg-negative state in Japan was significantly more common in patients infected with genotype B HBV than those infected with genotype C HBV. To determine whether the high prevalence of genotype B in the HBeAg-negative state is due to a change from genotype C to genotype B, 72 pairs of serum samples before and after HBe seroconversion were examined for nucleotide sequences in the S gene (amino acids 42-164) among Japanese HBV carriers.

Effects of intensive lipid lowering by low-density lipoprotein apheresis on regression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: Japan Low-density Lipoprotein Apheresis Coronary Atherosclerosis Prospective Study (L-CAPS).

Twenty-five heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemic patients treated with LDL-apheresis and drugs and 11 patients treated with drugs underwent follow-up angiography 2.3 years later. One-hundred thirteen lesions were measured by quantitative angiography.