Awareness and attitudes of Greek medical students on colorectal cancer screening.

Aim: To prospectively assess the knowledge and attitudes of medical students (MS), as tomorrow's physicians, about colorectal cancer (CRC) and its screening modalities.

Methods: Three hundred fourth year MS of the University of Athens were enrolled in this survey. Their selection was random, based on student identification card number.

Hepatitis B surface antigen: relation to hepatitis B replication parameters in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B.

Background & Aims: Translation of HBsAg depends on transcription of the appropriate mRNAs from cccDNA, but its relation to other hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication parameters is not known, inasmuch as integrated sequences of HBV-DNA may also contribute to its serum levels, especially in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: We investigated HBsAg serum levels, its hepatocellular expression, and their relationship to HBV replicative- and host-response parameters before treatment in 54 HBeAg-negative CHB patients and in 15 of them after 40.1±33.

Quantitative analysis of hepatitis D virus RNA and hepatitis B surface antigen serum levels in chronic delta hepatitis improves treatment monitoring.

Background/aims: Treatment of chronic delta hepatitis is long and difficult and better monitoring is needed.

Methods: In this study, hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA were retrospectively quantified in 53 patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis delta. Twenty-one had received 28 courses of 3-5 MU interferon-alpha2b (IFN-alpha2b) thrice weekly for a median of 12.