Can communication skills training improve empathy? A six-year longitudinal study of medical students in Japan.

Background: Empathy is an important component of overall clinical competence; thus, enhancing empathy in medical education is essential for quality patient care.

Aim: This longitudinal study was designed to address the following questions: 1. Can a targeted educational program in communication skills training enhance empathy in medical students? and 2.

Testosterone replacement elevates the serum uric acid levels in patients with female to male gender identity disorder.

Gender identity disorder (GID) results from a disagreement between a person's biological sex and the gender to which he or she identifies. With respect to the treatment of female to male GID, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is available. The uric acid (UA) level can be influenced by testosterone; however, the early effects and dose-dependency of TRT on the serum UA concentration have not been evaluated in this population.

Dose-response analysis of testosterone replacement therapy in patients with female to male gender identity disorder.

Gender identity disorder (GID) is a conflict between a person's actual physical gender and the one they identify him or herself with. Testosterone is the key agent in the medical treatment of female to male GID patients. We conducted a dose-response analysis of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in 138 patients to determine the onset of the therapeutic effects.

Wilson's disease masquerading as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Background: Wilson's disease is one of the most common hereditary causes of unclear hepatopathy. PATIENT #ENTITYSTARTX00026;

Method: A 34-year old male patient with a history of hyperlipidemia was admitted with symptoms of abdominal pain and slight hematuria. Abnormal liver function tests, ultrasound reports and liver biopsy were suggestive of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

An analysis of risk factors for developing Hepatocellular carcinoma in a group of Hepatitis C patients with stage 3 fibrosis following interferon therapy.

The risk of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is high in HCV-infected patients who have biochemically and histologically active chronic hepatitis. To observe the long prognosis of Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) patients with stage 3 fibrosis (F3), 55 CHC patients after initial Interferon (IFN) therapy were followed up for up to 12 years (average 9.8 +/- 2.

Influence of viral load and genotype in the progression of Hepatitis B-associated liver cirrhosis to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim/background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important factor in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We studied the influence of HBV viral load on HCC occurrence in HBV related liver cirrhosis (LC).

Patients And Methods: Ninety-one LC patients were followed up over a period of 7 years.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of oxidative stress markers in chronic hepatitis C.

Oxidative stress (OS) plays a major role in chronic hepatitis C. Various OS markers have been found to be elevated in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver disease. This study detected the presence of OS in serum and liver biopsy specimens of HCV patients.

Effect of vitamin E on serum aminotransferase and thioredoxin levels in patients with viral hepatitis C.

Objectives: Oxidative stress induces cellular responses such as cell death, gene activation and cell proliferation, in the liver. Vitamin E (Vit. E) has been found to protect the liver against oxidative stress in animal experiments.

Clinical significance of intrahepatic interleukin-8 in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background/AIM: Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is known as a chemotactic and angiogenetic cytokine and is a potential mediator of host response to injury or inflammation. In order to identify the role of IL-8 in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), we assessed semiquantitatively the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of IL-8 and other cytokines in liver biopsy specimens of CHC patients. METHOD: Liver biopsy specimens were obtained under peritoneoscopy from 35 patients with CHC.

Long term follow-up of a group of chronic hepatitis C patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs following initial interferon therapy.

BACKGROUND: A relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in a group of hepatectomized patients has been reported. Another study suggested the development of HCC is more rapid in a high ALT group of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated cirrhotic patients. To find a relationship between ALT and HCC occurrence, we observed changes in ALT over a period of 6 years, in a group of non-cirrhotic, chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs post interferon (IFN) therapy.

Effect of TT virus co-infection on interferon response in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Aim: TT virus (TTV) is a single stranded DNA virus found in serum of patients with post-transfusion non-A to -G hepatitis. TTV-DNA has been investigated in sera of patients with various liver diseases. This study aimed at finding whether co-infection with TTV in HCV patients, may influence the effect of interferon (IFN) in complete elimination of HCV, and analysed the correlation between HCV and TTV by semi-quantification of both HCV RNAs and TTV DNA.