Chronic hepatitis

BACKGROUND: Hepatic Inflammatory Pseudotumor (IPT) is an infrequent condition often masquerading as a malignant tumor, resulting in misdiagnosis and unnecessary surgical resection. The emerging concept of IgG4-related diseases (IgG4-RD) has gained widespread recognition, encompassing entities like IgG4-related hepatic IPT. Clinically and radiologically, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapies have proven effective in managing this condition. CASE PRESENTATION: A 3-year-old Chinese boy presented to the clinic with an 11-month history of anemia, fever of unknown origin, and a tender hepatic mass...

Clinical research has suggested that chronic HBV infection exerts a certain effect on the occurrence of cardiovascular disease by regulating cholesterol metabolism in liver cells. High serum apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 (ApoB/ApoA1) ratio plays a certain role in the above regulation, and it serves as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, whether the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio is correlated with chronic HBV infection and its disease progression remains unclear. In accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, all 378 participants administrated at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from March 2021 to March 2022, fell into Healthy Control (HC) group (50 participants), Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group (107 patients), liver cirrhosis (LC) group (64 patients), chronic hepatitis B (CHB) group (62 patients), chronic hepatitis C (CHC) group (46 patients) and Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) group (49 patients)...

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the incidence and prevalence of SLE in Italy, and to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed SLE. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using The Health Improvement Network general practice database in Italy, encompassing data from 634 753 people. SLE cases were identified over the period 2017-2022, employing three alternative definitions to provide a more detailed understanding of SLE characteristics...

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease with few therapeutic options currently available. Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years and exhibited remarkable advantages against such complicated disease for its "multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway" characteristics. Compound Shouwu Jiangzhi Granule (CSJG) is a clinical empirical prescription for the treatment of NAFLD, but its pharmacological mechanism remains unknown...

BACKGROUND: Persons who inject drugs (PWID) may be unengaged with healthcare services and face an elevated risk of severe morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 due to chronic diseases and structural inequities. However, data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake, particularly booster vaccination, among PWID are limited. We examined COVID-19 vaccine uptake and factors associated with booster vaccination among PWID in New York City (NYC). METHODS: We recruited PWID using respondent-driven sampling from October 2021 to November 2023 in a survey that included HIV and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies testing...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The high prevalence of obesity has become a pressing global public health problem and there exists a strong association between increased BMI and mortality at a BMI of 25 kg/m2 or higher. The prevalence of obesity is higher among middle-aged adults than among younger groups and the combination of aging and obesity exacerbate systemic inflammation. Increased inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) are hallmarks of obesity, and promote the secretion of hepatic C-reactive protein (CRP) which further induces systematic inflammation...

Liver diseases have gained increasing attention due to their substantial impact on health, independently as well as in association with cardio-metabolic disorders. Studies have suggested that glutathione and adenosine assist in providing protection against oxidative stress and inflammation while glucocorticoid (GC) therapy has been associated with chronic inflammatory disorders, even in pregnancy. The implications of Glucocorticoid exposure on maternal health and fetal growth is a concern, however, the possible role of glutathione and adenosine has not been thoroughly investigated...

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can significantly improve patient survival. We aimed to develop a blood-based assay to aid in the diagnosis, detection and prognostic evaluation of HCC. METHODS: A three-phase multicentre study was conducted to screen, optimise and validate HCC-specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) using next-generation sequencing and quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP). RESULTS: Genome-wide methylation profiling was conducted to identify DMRs distinguishing HCC tumours from peritumoural tissues and healthy plasmas...

Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) mediates the crosslinking of extracellular collagen, reflecting qualitative changes in liver fibrosis. This study aimed to validate the utility of serum LOXL2 levels as a predictive biomarker for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR). This retrospective study included 137 patients with chronic HCV infection without history of HCC development and who achieved SVR via direct-acting antiviral therapy...

BACKGROUND: The Baveno VII consensus proposed criteria for the non-invasively diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD). The performance of Baveno VII criteria for assessing CSPH by two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) had not been well validated. We aimed to validate the performance of Baveno VII criteria for rule-in and rule-out CSPH by 2D-SWE. METHOD: This is an international multicenter study including cACLD patients from China and Croatia with paired liver stiffness measurement (LSM), spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) by 2D-SWE, and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) were included...

More than 58 million individuals worldwide are inflicted with chronic HCV. The disease carries a high risk of end stage liver disease, i.e., cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have revolutionized therapy, the emergence of drug-resistant strains has become a growing concern. Conventional cellular models, Huh7 and its derivatives were very permissive to only HCVcc (JFH-1), but not HCV clinical isolates. The lack of suitable host cells had hindered comprehensive research on patient-derived HCV...

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively investigated microRNA (miRNA) levels in serum-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as predictive indicators for regression of liver fibrosis, after achievement of a sustained virological response (SVR) by direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). METHODS: The study subjects were recruited from a historical cohort of 108 CHC patients whose pretreatment serum Mac-2-binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) levels were ≥ 2...

Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is a worldwide public health problem, causing considerable morbidity and mortality. Patients with SLD are at increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Conversely, patients with cardiometabolic conditions have a high prevalence of SLD. In addition to epidemiological evidence linking many of these conditions, there is evidence of shared pathophysiological processes. In December 2022, a unique multi-stakeholder, multi-specialty meeting, called MOSAIC (Metabolic multi Organ Science Accelerating Innovation in Clinical Trials) was convened to foster collaboration across metabolic, hepatology, nephrology and CV disorders...

While dysfunctional exhausted CD8+ T cells hamper viral control when children acquire hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, it's crucial to recognize that CD8+ T cells have diverse phenotypes and functions. This study explored a subset of CD8+ T cells expressing C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) in children with HBV infection. Thirty-six patients in the immune tolerant group, 33 patients in the immune active group, 55 patients in the combined response group, and 22 healthy control children were enrolled...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Background Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is significant, as most infants infected at birth go on to develop chronic hepatitis B. Vaccination and antiviral treatment during pregnancy could primarily prevent vertical transmission. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess pregnant Jordanian females' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) toward HBV. In addition, to explore the relationship between the level of KAP toward HBV infection and its predictors. Methods Our cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women in Jordan...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancer worldwide. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis persist as the most common risk factors, typically linked to instances of alcohol abuse or viral infections, notably hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection. Diagnosis can be made using patient history and image studies as there is no need for pathological confirmation. The only curative treatment is surgical resection, and in cases where the tumor is unresectable, as the one presented in this case, and when there are no contraindications, the only option is an orthotopic liver transplantation...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically presents with a primary hepatic mass. Nevertheless, on rare occasions, the initial presentation can be exclusively related to extrahepatic metastases and the most common sites of metastases are the lungs, lymph nodes, bones, and adrenal glands. While, bone metastases are generally accompanied by multiple metastatic spreads elsewhere in the body or previously diagnosed HCC, cases of solitary bone metastases with no liver lesion at imaging have been reported. Indeed, two rare entities of HCC have been reported in the literature which are the ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma and the infiltrative type of hepatocellular carcinoma with a very challenging radiologic diagnosis and poor prognosis...

Background: Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is characterized by the presence of HBV DNA in individuals who test negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). It poses diagnostic challenges and contributes to chronic liver diseases. Understanding its epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical outcomes remains essential. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of OBI in Northwestern Greece. Methods: Serum samples were prospectively collected from 702 blood donors at the University Hospital of Ioannina, Greece, between February 2018 and September 2022...