A 5-year Single-Center Experience of Hepatitis E Virus Infection During Pregnancy.

Objective: The study was designed to examine the hypothesis whether the course and severity of hepatitis E virus (HEV)-related liver disease is worse during pregnancy.

Method: The prospective study included 1088 patients (550 pregnant; 538 nonpregnant) with clinically and biochemically confirmed acute viral hepatitis (AVH) or acute liver failure (ALF) and were subjected to a complete panel of hepatitis serology.

Results: In the pregnant cohort, HEV was the cause of infection in 80.

Highlights of Indian Council of Medical Research National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants.

Advancements in the field of biomedical and health research pose new ethical challenges warranting the need for constant updation in the existing ethics guidance. Realizing this, revision of "Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research on Human Participants (2006)" was initiated in the year 2015. The preparation of guidelines was a participatory process involving large number of stakeholders from various backgrounds in order to get a variety of perspectives.

A study of association between regulatory polymorphism in the IL-10 gene promoter region and acute viral hepatitis, and acute liver failure.

Background: The level of inflammatory cytokine Interleukin (IL)-10 is increased in patients infected with hepatitis-related acute liver failure (ALF), and this was thought to be because of the regulatory polymorphism in the IL-10 gene promoter region. The present study was designed to analyze the possible association between IL-10 gene promoter polymorphism and acute viral hepatitis (AVH), and ALF. An attempt was made to quantify IL-10 levels at admission, during the hospital stay, and at the final outcome to study its relationship with liver injury among patients with AVH, ALF, and controls.

Role of Glutathione S Transferase M1 and T1 Gene Polymorphism in Hepatitis B Related Liver Diseases and Cryptogenic Cirrhosis.

Background And Aim: Progression of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) might be affected by host genetic factors. The present study was undertaken to study the role of glutathione S-transferases (GST)-M1 and T1 gene polymorphisms in different stages of HBV infection: HBV inactive carrier, chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis, and cryptogenic cirrhosis.

Methods: The study population comprised of 170 subjects; 120 cases (HBV inactive carrier,  = 30; HBV related chronic hepatitis,  = 30; HBV related cirrhosis,  = 30; cryptogenic cirrhosis,  = 30) and 50 unrelated healthy adults without liver disease as controls.

Evidence of extrahepatic replication of hepatitis E virus in human placenta.

The incidence and severity of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in pregnant women is high in developing countries. Transplacental transmission of HEV in the third trimester of pregnancy has been found to be associated with high fetal mortality. Based on this evidence and in the absence of reports on HEV replication in extrahepatic sites, this study was carried out to investigate if HEV replication occurs in the placenta of infected mothers.

Does high viral load of hepatitis E virus influence the severity and prognosis of acute liver failure during pregnancy?

The incidence and mortality in pregnant women with acute liver failure caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV) is high. Data on the viral load of HEV during pregnancy are limited. The study was designed to determine the viral load of HEV and its association with the disease severity in patients with acute liver failure.

Promoter region polymorphism & expression profile of toll like receptor-3 (TLR-3) gene in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients from India.

Background & Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces an immune response of the host, manifested by the formation of anti-HCV antibodies mediated by adaptive and innate immunity. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a pivotal role in innate immunity system. This study was aimed to investigate the promoter region polymorphism and expression of TLR3 gene in patients with chronic HCV infection.

Surveillance of hepatitis E virus in sewage and drinking water in a resettlement colony of Delhi: what has been the experience?

Hepatitis E virus infection is one of the major causes of hepatitis and has been responsible for many sporadic waterborne hepatitis epidemics. We studied 141 cases of viral hepatitis in the Gokulpuri area and collected the tap water, sewage water and serum samples from the individual cases of hepatitis in the community. Samples were analysed for the presence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) by RT-PCR, followed by sequencing.