Adding interferon to lamivudine enhances the early virologic response and reversion of the precore mutation in difficult-to-treat HBV infection.

Background: The virologic impact of adding interferon to antiviral nucleoside therapy was studied in Japanese patients having perinatally transmitted hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C.

Methods: Sixty-four patients including 41 positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) were assigned to receive either (1) a combination of interferon-alpha (6 million units daily for 2 weeks, then three times weekly) plus lamivudine (100 mg daily) for 24 weeks followed by lamivudine alone for 28 weeks (n = 30) or (2) 52-week lamivudine monotherapy (n = 34).

Results: The combination treatment enhanced the early virologic response, and HBV clearance was more frequent at week 8 for patients with baseline HBV DNA < or = 7 log copies/ml (90% vs.

Long-term clinical and virological outcomes of chronic hepatitis C after successful interferon therapy.

Clinical relevance of occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) and/or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection(s) remains uncertain years after interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C. By 1993, 38 sustained virological responders (SVRs) showing HCV RNA clearance at 6 months post-treatment and 37 biochemical responders (BRs) with end-of-treatment alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization and subsequent 6-month stabilization within 2 x the upper limit of normal (ULN) were enrolled. They were monitored for 4.

Long-term histologic and virologic outcomes of acute self-limited hepatitis B.

The long-term impact of acute self-limited hepatitis B on the liver is unknown. Fourteen patients were recalled at a median of 4.2 years (range, 1.

Histological improvement of chronic liver disease after spontaneous serum hepatitis C virus clearance.

The long-term histological and virological outcomes of spontaneous circulating hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance were studied in chronic liver disease. Between 1979 and 1984, three patients underwent laparoscopy for chronic non-A, non-B liver disease, and two were found to have cirrhosis and one with chronic active hepatitis. After HCV assays became available in 1990, they were positive persistently for HCV antibody without serum HCV RNA.

Stereotactic single high dose irradiation of lung tumors under respiratory gating.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of a stereotactic single high dose irradiation of lung tumors under respiratory gating and the clinical response.

Methods And Materials: Twenty-three malignant lung tumors less than 40mm in diameter were treated by a single fractional irradiation.

Results And Discussion: Local regrowth was seen in three of ten tumors irradiated less than 30Gy, the minimal dose.

[Development of stereotactic irradiation system of body tumors under respiratory gating].

Stereotactic radiosurgery for body tumors is hampered by the difficulties in body fixation and respiratory motions of the tumor. We have developed a Microton-based system for the stereotactic irradiation of body tumors, which delivers radiation at a predetermined respiratory phase. The patients are fixed non-invasively in the custom-made bed, and CT images are obtained.