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J Hepatol 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

In October 2018 a large number of international experts with complementary expertise came together in Taormina to participate in a workshop on occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI). The objectives of the workshop were to review the existing knowledge on OBI, to identify issues that require further investigation, to highlight both the existing controversial and newly emerging aspects, and ultimately to update the statements previously agreed in 2008. This paper represents the output from the workshop. Read More

Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019 May;17(6):1216-1217

Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

J Med Case Rep 2019 Apr 20;13(1):99. Epub 2019 Apr 20.

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Shimotsuga, Tochigi, 321-0293, Japan.

Background: Adefovir dipivoxil is a nucleotide analogue that is approved for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Adefovir dipivoxil is associated with proximal tubular dysfunction, resulting in Fanconi syndrome, which can cause secondary hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. We describe a case of a patient with hypophosphatemic osteomalacia secondary to Fanconi syndrome induced by adefovir dipivoxil concomitantly with osteoporosis in whom clinical symptoms were improved by adding denosumab (a human monoclonal antibody targeting the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand) to preceding administration of vitamin D. Read More

PLoS One 2019 19;14(4):e0215550. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, Legon- Accra, Ghana.

Background: The overlap of malaria and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is common in endemic regions, however, it is not known if this co-infection could adversely influence clinical and immunological responses. This study investigated these interactions in pregnant women reporting to antenatal clinics in Ghana.

Methods: Clinical parameters (hemoglobin, liver function biomarker, peripheral malaria parasitemia, and hepatitis B viremia) and cytokine profiles were assayed and compared across four categories of pregnant women: un-infected, mono-infected with Plasmodium falciparum (Malaria group), mono-infected with chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB group) and co-infected (Malaria+CHB group). Read More

PLoS One 2019 19;14(4):e0215377. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Background: The study assessed the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection paradigm among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients attending a tertiary hospital in Ghana. Also, the immunological and virological characterisation of these viruses, prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation was investigated.

Method: A total of 400 HIV infected (HIV type-1) treatment naïve subjects ≥18 years were enrolled and tested for HBsAg and anti-HCV. Read More

Clin Transplant 2019 Apr 19:e13563. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Transplant Infectious Diseases, University Health Network, Toronto, ON.

These updated guidelines of the AST IDCOP review vaccination of solid organ transplant candidates and recipients. General principles of vaccination as well as the use of specific vaccines in this population are discussed. Vaccination should be reviewed in the pre-transplant setting and appropriate vaccines updated. Read More

Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2019 Apr 19. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Department of Neurosurgery, Acibadem University, İstanbul, Turkey.

In this review article, we hypothesize that Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine (HBV-V) and certain antigens of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-could act as anticancer immunoadjuvants in addition to their role of preventing HBV-associated liver cancer. Evidence suggests that in animal breast cancer and melanoma models, combining hepatitis B-surface antigen (HBsAg) with other cancer antigens resulted in enhanced antitumor activity. HBsAg shares antigenic mimicry with healthy and malignant cells including squamous epithelia, thymic epithelia, bladder- and colon cancer cells. Read More

Eur Radiol 2019 Apr 18. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Department of Biomedical Imaging and Imaging-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.

Objectives: To examine inter- and intra-observer agreement for four simple hepatobiliary phase (HBP)-based scores on gadoxetic acid (GA)-enhanced MRI and their correlation with liver function in patients with mixed chronic liver disease (CLD).

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 287 patients (62% male, 38% female, mean age 53.5 ± 13. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 18;9(1):6292. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Injection drug use (IDU) is one of the most significant risk factors for viral hepatitis (B and C) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. This study assessed seroprevalence rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kuwait. We conducted a cross-sectional study from April to September 2017. Read More

PLoS One 2019 18;14(4):e0215464. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Le Trait d'Union, HIV-Infection Care Center, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.

Introduction: Achieving functional cure of chronic HBV infection (Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] clearance, eventually followed by acquisition of anti-hepatitis B surface antigen [Anti-HBs]) in individuals with HIV and HBV infections is a rare event. In this setting, factors related to HBV cure have not yet been fully characterized.

Methods: HIV-infected individuals with chronic HBV infection enrolled in the French Dat'AIDS cohort (NCT02898987), who started combined antiretroviral (cART)-anti-HBV treatment were retrospectively analyzed for HBsAg loss and Anti-HBs seroconversion. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2019 Apr 18;15(4):e1007715. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, United States of America.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persists with global and virus-specific T-cell dysfunction, without T-cell based correlates of outcomes. To determine if γδT-cells are altered in HBV infection relative to clinical status, we examined the frequency, phenotype and function of peripheral blood Vδ1+ and Vδ2+γδT-cells by multi-parameter cytometry in a clinically diverse North American cohort of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), acute hepatitis B (AHB) and uninfected control subjects. We show that circulating γδT-cells were comprised predominantly of CD3hiCD4- Vδ2+γδT-cells with frequencies that were 2-3 fold higher among Asian than non-Asian Americans and inversely correlated with age, but without differences between CHB, AHB and control subjects. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2019 Apr 18;15(4):e1007690. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with functionally impaired virus-specific T cell responses. Although the myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are known to play a critical role in impairing antiviral T cell responses, viral factors responsible for the expansion of MDSCs in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remain obscure. In order to elucidate the mechanism of monocytic MDSCs (mMDSCs) expansion and T cell function suppression during persistent HBV infection, we analyzed the circulation frequency of mMDSCs in 164 CHB patients and 70 healthy donors, and found that the proportion of mMDSCs in HBeAg (+) CHB patients was significantly increased compared to that in HBeAg (-) patients, which positively correlated with the level of HBeAg. Read More

Tohoku J Exp Med 2019 04;247(4):237-245

Department of Hepatology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University.

Necroptosis refers to a programmed form of necrosis, which involves the receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL). In this study, to investigate the role of necroptosis in the pathogenesis of acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF), we retrospectively analyzed 122 patients with ACHBLF, 131 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and 35 healthy controls (HCs). Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), we measured RIPK3 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Read More

Intern Med 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Neurology, Nissan Tamagawa Hospital, Japan.

We herein report a case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) that occurred immediately after blood transfusion. A 64-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis B 2 years ago. She was admitted to our hospital with hemorrhagic shock due to esophageal variceal rupture. Read More

Expert Opin Ther Targets 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

a Department of Hepatology , Qilu Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan , China.

Introduction: Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein-8 like-2 (TIPE2) is a novel negative regulator of innate and adaptive immune responses by binding to caspase-8. The binding of TIPE2 and caspase-8 can inhibit the activity of activating protein-1(AP-1) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), ultimately promoting Fas-induced apoptosis in immune cells. Therefore, TIPE2-caspase-8-NF-κB signaling might serve as a biomarker and a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Read More

Ann Ig 2019 Mar-Apr;31(2 Supple 1):54-64

Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Infectious Diseases, University of Messina, Italy.

The National Plan for Vaccine Prevention 2017-2019 has expanded the vaccination offer including new vaccines, enlarging the target population and introducing for the first time in Italy a life-course approach to vaccination. A "lifetime immunization schedule" is aimed to reduce the burden and the related costs of vaccine-preventable diseases through effective vaccination programs. However, to counteract the national steady downward trend in the uptake of vaccinations that caused a drop of the vaccination coverage below the 95% threshold to allow herd immunity, it was decided to make 10 vaccinations mandatory by the law 119/2017. Read More

Hepatol Res 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Division of Gastroenterology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.

Aims: We aimed to investigate the impact of interleukin (IL)-34 and YKL-40, regulators of hepatic fibrosis and tumor growth, on the prognosis of patients with non-viral hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We enrolled 159 non-viral HCC patients (age, 70.8 ± 8. Read More

Kidney Int Rep 2019 Apr 12;4(4):522-534. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, College of Health Sciences, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

The epidemiological landscape of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in South Africa has changed drastically in the New Millennium. Although the pattern of disease in the 3 main non-Black racial groups (White, Indian, and Mixed race) mirror that seen in Western countries, Black African children show a pattern of disease that is at variance with these 3 racial groups. The incidence of infectious diseases, particularly hepatitis B virus associated nephropathy has sharply declined to being almost extinct in Black children in the New Millennium whereas HIV-related nephropathy surfaced. Read More

Case Rep Hematol 2019 12;2019:4319148. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas, Texas 75231, USA.

Drug-associated thrombocytopenia is often unrecognized. We report a 76-year-old female with lymphoma who presented with easy bruising and oral bleeding. She had undergone screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) prior to starting rituximab and was found to have hepatitis B core serum antibody (IgG anti-HBc). Read More

J Glob Health 2019 Jun;9(1):010310

Nuffield Department of Medicine, Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Bull World Health Organ 2019 Mar 28;97(3):230-238. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, No.38, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem worldwide. China has the world's largest burden of HBV infection and will be a major contributor towards the global elimination of hepatitis B disease by 2030. The country has made good progress in reducing incidence of HBV infection in the past three decades. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Public Health Service Amsterdam (GGD), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute (AI&II), Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Background: Several outbreaks of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) were recently documented among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Europe. We investigated the HAV incidence among MSM in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and HAV seroprevalence and HAV vaccination decision among MSM visiting the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinic in Amsterdam.

Methods: Using surveillance data from 1992 to 2017 of MSM with acute HAV in Amsterdam, we estimated the incidence by calendar year and age. Read More

Virol J 2019 04 16;16(1):48. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Medicine, The Second Hospital, Jilin University, No. 218 Ziqiang Street, Nanguan District, Changchun, 130041, Jilin Province, China.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-35 regulates imbalance between regulatory T cells (Tregs) and T helper (Th) 17 cells, leading to an important modulator in autoimmune disorder, cancer, and infectious diseases. Our previous study revealed an immunosuppressive activity of IL-35 in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the role of regulatory function of IL-35 to viral specific Tregs/Th17 cells balance in chronic HBV infection. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2019 Apr 16;19(1):53. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 168 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.

Background: As an alternative biomarker of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) transcriptional activity, hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA may evolve during long-lasting virus-host interactions during chronic hepatitis B viral infection. The distribution pattern of serum HBV RNA levels in the natural course of chronic HBV infection remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of HBV RNA during the natural course of CHB and the role in distinguishing the natural history of HBV infection. Read More

Hepatology 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Xinmin Street NO.71, Changchun, China, 130021.

We read the recent article by Eloi R. Verrier et al(1) titled "Hepatitis B Virus Evasion From Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate Synthase Sensing in Human Hepatocytes" with great interest. The authors have shown that cGAS is expressed in the human liver, primary human hepatocytes and human liver chimeric mouse. Read More

Hepatology 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Université de Strasbourg, Inserm Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques UMRS 1110, F-67000, Strasbourg, France.

We would like to thank Dr. Zhang for the comment on our article « Hepatitis B Virus Evasion From Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate-Adenosine Monophosphate Synthase Sensing in Human Hepatocytes » (1).First, we would like to address the question regarding the role of the immune system in the human liver chimeric mouse model. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2019 Apr 13;114:108863. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Complexity System, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China. Electronic address:

Yinchenhao decoction (YCHD) is a classical Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula that has been widely used in the treatment of liver fibrosis caused by chronic hepatitis B and jaundice for more than 1800 years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the apoptosis regulation mechanisms of YCHD and its active components suppresses liver fibrosis. The active components and putative targets of YCHD were predicted by network pharmacology approach. Read More

J Gen Virol 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

1​Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Guangxi Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis, Nanning, Guangxi 530028, PR China.

Hepatitis B virus has been classified into 10 genotypes and 48 subgenotypes worldwide. We found previously, through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a sample collected in 2011, that an HBsAg carrier was infected with two genotypes (B and D) of HBV. We carried out cloning, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the complete genomes and, for confirmation, analysed a sample collected from the same individual in 2018. Read More

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 2019 Mar;44(6):1164-1169

Department of Pharmacy,Air Force General Hospital Beijing 100142,China.

Herpetone( HPT) is a bioactive lignan extracted from Herpetospermum pedunculosum,which can protect liver,lower aminotransferase and inhibit hepatitis B virus. However,HPT has a poor oral bioavailability due to its poor water solubility. And there is no report about whether HPT has an anti-hepatic fibrosis activity. Read More

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2019 Mar 29;13(3):90-92. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Abbott Laboratories Chicago IL.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Oct 6;12(4):93-95. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology Loma Linda University Loma Linda CA.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Jul 22;12(1):33-34. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Division of Clinical Decision Making, Tufts Medical Center Tufts University School of Medicine Boston MA.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Jul 22;12(1):29-32. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Liver Disease and Hepatitis Program Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Anchorage AK.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Jul 22;12(1):24-28. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine University of California, San Francisco San Francisco CA.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Jul 22;12(1):19-23. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Oregon Health & Science University Portland OR.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Jul 22;12(1):12-18. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Hepatitis B Foundation and Baruch S. Blumberg Institute Doylestown PA.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Jul 22;12(1):5-11. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Stanford University, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center Stanford CA.

Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2018 Jul 22;12(1):1-4. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Center for Liver Cancer National Cancer Center Goyang Republic of Korea.

Oncol Lett 2019 May 8;17(5):4222-4228. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Experimental Center, Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is more frequently observed and aggressive in men compared with women. Increasing evidence demonstrates that the sex disparity appears to be mediated by the stimulatory effects of androgens and the protective effects of estrogen in the development and progression of HCC. In the past few decades, studies on the sex difference of HCC mainly focused on the effect of sex hormones on the transactivation of hepatitis B virus X protein and the release of inflammatory cytokines, and these studies have further intensified in recent years. Read More

Onco Targets Ther 2019 26;12:2205-2214. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Department of Gastroenterology, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan,

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of "on-demand" combination therapy with sorafenib and hepatic arterial treatments, such as transarterial chemoembolization and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients And Methods: Eighty consecutive patients with advanced HCC, 58 administered sorafenib monotherapy and 22 administered on-demand combination therapy, were retrospectively evaluated.

Results: The disease control rate was significantly higher in the combination group than in the monotherapy group (86. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 15;9(1):6106. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Developing a technology that enables oral vaccines to work efficiently remains a considerable effort since a number of difficulties must be addressed. The key objective being to ensure the safe passage through the harsh conditions within the gastrointestinal tract, promoting delivery that induces enhanced immune response. In the particular case of hepatitis B, the oral formulation in the nanostructured silica SBA-15 is a viable approach. Read More

BMC Public Health 2019 Apr 15;19(1):404. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Center for Observational and Real World Evidence (CORE), Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.

Background: Timely and complete vaccination with multi-dose schedules is of public health importance, because an incomplete vaccination series may yield suboptimal disease protection. However, data on adherence of adults to multi-dose vaccines are limited. We sought to estimate adherence to multi-dose hepatitis vaccination schedules among adults in the United Kingdom (UK). Read More

Sensors (Basel) 2019 Apr 3;19(7). Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130000, China.

Temperature control is the most important and fundamental part of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To date, there have been several methods to realize the periodic heating and cooling of the thermal-cycler system for continuous-flow PCR reactions, and three of them were widely used: the thermo-cycled thermoelectric cooler (TEC), the heating block, and the thermostatic heater. In the present study, a new approach called open-loop controlled single thermostatic TEC was introduced to control the thermal cycle during the amplification process. Read More

Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2019 Apr 15;144(8):528-534. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

With approximately 240 million chronically infected people, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in the world. Chronic HBV infection should be treated with antivirals, if either liver cirrhosis with detectable HBV DNA or relevant viral load (HBV DNA > 2000 IU/ml) and signs of liver damage (transaminase elevation, fibrosis, risk of liver cancer or similar) are present. The current standard therapy is a long-term treatment with nucleoside or nucleotide analogues such as entecavir, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or tenofovir alafenamide, while in selected cases interferon treatment (for 48 weeks) may be useful. Read More

Am J Gastroenterol 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) share routes of transmission, and coinfection is associated with higher levels of HBV DNA, accelerated fibrosis progression, and increased liver-related events compared with those with HBV alone. The full spectrum of hepatic histology has not been recently addressed, in part because of the decreasing use of liver biopsy in clinical practice. The current study provides a modern "snapshot" of biopsy data from 114 HIV/HBV coinfected individuals, elucidating the degree of liver fibrosis years into the effective antiretroviral era and also revealing that hepatic steatosis was a frequent finding. Read More

Front Immunol 2019 29;10:617. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

B- and T-lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an immune-regulatory receptor, similar to CTLA-4 and PD-1, and is mainly expressed on B-, T-, and all mature lymphocyte cells. Herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM)-BTLA plays a critical role in immune tolerance and immune responses which are areas of intense research. However, the mechanisms of the BTLA and the BTLA/HVEM signaling pathway in human diseases remain unclear. Read More

World J Gastroenterol 2019 Apr;25(13):1566-1579

Liver Pathology Unit, Departments of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain.

Background: Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) seems to strongly suppress hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, although little is known about the mechanism of this interaction. Both these viruses show a dynamic distribution of mutants, resulting in viral quasispecies. Next-generation sequencing is a viable approach for analyzing the composition of these mutant spectra. Read More

World J Gastroenterol 2019 Apr;25(13):1550-1559

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) makes up 75%-85% of all primary liver cancers and is the fourth most common cause of cancer related death worldwide. Chronic liver disease is the most significant risk factor for HCC with 80%-90% of new cases occurring in the background of cirrhosis. Studies have shown that early diagnosis of HCC through surveillance programs improve prognosis and availability of curative therapies. Read More

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Centre for Liver Research, School of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, India.

Background: CD4 regulatory T-cells (Tregs) expand during chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and inhibit antiviral immunity, although the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) have been linked with T-cell dysfunction but questions remain regarding their persistence/profile/function in chronically HBV infected patients.

Aim: To characterise MDSC in different phases of chronic HBV infection namely, immune-tolerant (IT), hepatitis B e-antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B (EP-CHB), inactive carriers (IC) and hepatitis B e-antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B (EN-CHB), to investigate their role in Treg induction and evaluate the effect of anti-viral therapy on these cells. Read More

J Infect Chemother 2019 Apr 11. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.

The aims of this study were to assess the effect of maternal screening for hepatitis B (HB) virus and a perinatal prevention program of mother-to-child transmission, and to identify clinical characteristics and findings associated with HB exacerbation during pregnancy. This prospective cohort study enrolled 3796 pregnant women and their neonates with informed consent. Pregnant women underwent maternal universal screening for HBs antigen (Ag) in the first trimester. Read More