Objective: Neopterin is a marker of monocyte/macrophage activity. Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) is a marker of hepatocyte injury. The aim of this study was to determine changes in neopterin and ALAT levels, as markers of inflammation, in two ancillary studies during two-phase 1b trials of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3.4A protease inhibitor telaprevir (VX-950), with or without peginterferon alfa-2a (Peg-IFN).
Material And Methods: Fifty-four chronic hepatitis C patients (genotype 1) received placebo or telaprevir, with or without Peg-IFN, for 14 days in two multiple-dose studies.
Results: During administration of telaprevir, every patient demonstrated a >2-log decrease in HCV RNA. Mean neopterin and ALAT levels decreased in all four groups receiving telaprevir alone. In contrast, mean neopterin levels increased and ALAT levels decreased in the Peg-IFN plus telaprevir and Peg-IFN plus placebo groups.
Conclusions: These data suggest that treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients with an HCV NS3.4A protease inhibitor ameliorates inflammation. The increase in neopterin levels and the decrease in ALAT levels during administration of Peg-IFN with or without telaprevir are in accordance with earlier observations showing that IFN reduces hepatocyte injury but increases monocyte/macrophage activity. The IFN-mediated immunomodulatory effects appear to remain intact when IFN is combined with telaprevir.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00365520802044210 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
January 2025
Department of Surgery, Asian Liver Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America.
Patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) have an increased risk for death from liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the United States, only an estimated 37% of adults with chronic hepatitis B diagnosis without cirrhosis receive monitoring with at least an annual alanine transaminase (ALT) and hepatitis B deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and an estimated 59% receive antiviral treatment when they develop active hepatitis or cirrhosis. A Markov model was used to calculate the costs, health impact and cost-effectiveness of increased monitoring of adults with HBeAg negative inactive or HBeAg positive immune tolerant CHB who have no cirrhosis or significant fibrosis and are not recommended by the current American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) clinical practice guidelines to receive antiviral treatment, and to assess whether the addition of HCC surveillance would be cost-effective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Med (Lausanne)
January 2025
General Practice Department, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China.
Objective: To explore the connection between metabolic parameters and the severity of hepatic steatosis determined through ultrasound in elderly individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).
Methods: 4,663 senior individuals who were 65 years of age or older were included in this research. They were examined physically at the Ninghai Street Community Health Service Center in Yantai City between June 7, 2021, and October 15, 2021.
Curr Pharm Des
January 2025
Department of Horticulture and Life Science, Yeungnam University, Republic of Korea.
Introduction: Datura stramonium (DS) possesses strong medicinal and therapeutic potential but has been rarely evaluated in this context.
Methods: The present study was intended to evaluate the antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective potential of the crude methanolic leaf extract and ethyl acetate, chloroform, n-hexane, and aqueous fractions of DS in paracetamol-intoxicated rabbits. Paracetamol (2 g/Kg BW) was applied to induce liver and kidney injury in rabbits while the methanolic extract and fractions of DS were applied in the dose range of 150 mg/Kg to 300 mg/Kg body weight for 21 days.
Br J Hosp Med (Lond)
December 2024
Department of Emergency, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) is a rare, rapidly progressive and highly lethal disease. This retrospective cohort study aims to analyze the factors influencing the mortality risk in adult patients with sHLH, which are instrumental to improving our understanding of the high mortality risks associated with sHLH. This study included 85 patients diagnosed with sHLH who were admitted and treated in the Department of Emergency, Peking University People's Hospital between April 2015 and July 2023.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTissue Cell
January 2025
Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia.
Bromoxynil (BML) is a toxic herbicide that is reported to cause various organ toxicities. However, there is not a single investigation conducted to elucidate the adverse impacts of BML on hepatic tissues at different dose concentrations. Therefore, the current investigation was planned to assess the deleterious effects of BML on liver against different dose concentrations.
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