Long-term lamivudine treatment is associated with a good maintained response in severe acute exacerbation of chronic HBeAg-negative hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B is difficult to treat and there is little long-term data for lamivudine treatment of severe acute exacerbation. We report a prospective, consecutive cohort of severe acute exacerbation of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients treated by lamivudine between 1999 and 2004. All patients had respectively increased alanine aminotransferase and serum bilirubin to at least 10 and 2 times the upper limit of laboratory normal.

Expression profilings of 39 genes selected by ANOVA could separate precursors of murine dendritic cells and macrophages.

Dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages share some stages in the development and function of antigen presentation. But it is difficult to separate them from their precursors. We used one-way ANOVA (analysis of variances) on murine expression profilings of several hematopoietic cells associated with DCs and macrophages to find the genes with great differences across the cell groups.

A retrospective study on clinical features and prognostic factors of biopsy-proven primary biliary cirrhosis in Chinese patients.

Objectives: Though extensive research has been performed on primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in Caucasian patients, little is known about the disease in the Asian population.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective study of Chinese patients with biopsy-proven PBC. Electronic records of results from all liver biopsies (n = 1,021) performed between January 1996 and April 2004, together with records of patients labeled as "biliary cirrhosis," were retrieved.

A hospital clinic-based survey on traditional Chinese medicine usage among chronic hepatitis B patients.

Objectives: To survey the pattern of traditional Chinese medicine usage among chronic hepatitis B patients.

Design: Self-administered questionnaire survey.

Setting: Hepatitis clinic at a university hospital in Hong Kong.

Long-term follow-up of peginterferon and lamivudine combination treatment in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.

We have previously demonstrated that combination peginterferon and lamivudine treatment has superior antiviral efficacy to lamivudine monotherapy in chronic hepatitis B. In this study, we investigated the long-term posttreatment virological response to this combination treatment. Sustained virological response of patients who completed 32-week peginterferon and 52-week lamivudine combination treatment was compared to patients who completed 52-week lamivudine monotherapy.

Identification of chronic hepatitis B patients without significant liver fibrosis by a simple noninvasive predictive model.

Objective: Histological assessment of liver fibrosis is important in the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection but poorly accepted by patients because of its invasiveness. The aim of this study was to develop a noninvasive model to assess liver fibrosis in CHB patients using clinical and routine laboratory data.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective study on 235 treatment-naive viremic CHB patients.

A randomized, controlled trial of combination therapy for chronic hepatitis B: comparing pegylated interferon-alpha2b and lamivudine with lamivudine alone.

Background: Conventional interferon and lamivudine monotherapy are unsatisfactory in treating hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon-alpha2b and lamivudine combination therapy for chronic hepatitis B.

Design: Randomized, controlled, open-label trial.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome in dialysis patients.

Reviewed are the clinical features and outcome of 12 chronic dialysis patients (six men) who contracted severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) compared with 23 sex- and age-matched nonuremic SARS patients as controls. Eight were on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and four on hemodialysis. Mean age was 58 +/- 12 yr for the dialysis patients, and 57 +/- 12 yr for the controls.