Hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical and radiological findings in patients with chronic B viral hepatitis and chronic C viral hepatitis

Aim

To compare clinical and radiological findings of newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections.

Materials and Methods

Dynamic contrast-enhanced CT images in 532 patients with newly diagnosed HCC were retrospectively reviewed. Of these patients, 418 had chronic HBV infections and 114 had chronic HCV infections. The number, size, shape (nodular vs. non-nodular) and enhancement pattern (typical vs. atypical) of hepatic lesions were assessed. The presence of portal vein thrombosis and bile duct invasion were determined.

Results

The mean age of the HBV group (54.31 [range 27–85], median 54) was younger than that of the HCV group (64.21 [range 30–86], median 64) (P?5; P?P?=?0.023); non-nodular shape (P?P?=?0.047), association with portal vein thrombosis (P?=?0.004); association with bile duct invasion (P?Conclusions Clinical and radiological findings of HCC differ between patients with HBV and HCV infections.     

Prevalence and risk factors of coronary artery disease in patients with chronic viral hepatitis

Objectives: Patients with chronic viral hepatitis usually present metabolic abnormalities and hemodynamic changes, which are known factors associated with the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aims to determine the risk factors of incident CAD in these patients. Methods: We identified 193 patients who subsequently developed CAD amongst 37,840 cases diagnosed as chronic viral hepatitis from January 2007 through December 2013. Results: In these patients, 141 had hepatitis B virus infections and 52 had hepatitis C virus infections. There was a male preponderance (65.9%). The median age at the diagnosis of hepatitis was 51 years. In the univariate analysis, patients aged ≥ 51 years had shorter median periods from the diagnosis of hepatitis to the onset of CAD than patients aged < 51 years (50 versus 96 months, p < 0.001), and patients with hypertension had shorter median durations compared to those without hypertension (48 versus 96 months, p < 0.001). Statistical significance also existed between patients with different etiologies (p = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis by Cox regression, age at the diagnosis of hepatitis (p < 0.001; hazard ratio (HR), 1.041; 95% CI, 1.027–1.056) and hypertension (with versus without, p < 0.001; HR, 1.925; 95% CI, 1.419–2.611) were revealed. Conclusions: Age at diagnosis of hepatitis and hypertension appeared to be independent risk factors of incident CAD in these patients. This topic deserves further studies.     

维持性血液透析患者乙、丙型肝炎病毒感染情况及原因分析

目的:调查维持性血液透析患者在长期血透治疗过程中乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)和丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)的感染情况并分析其原因,以达到进一步采取预防措施,防止血透患者感染HBV和HCV。方法:收集2003年5月在本院行维持性血液透析半年以上者共99例,调查其血透史及输血史,检查其血清HBV标志物(HBV鄄M)和HCV抗体(抗鄄HCV)情况,并与患者初始血透治疗前该指标比较,分析血透中HBV、HCV感染发生情况及原因。结果:①初始血透治疗前99例患者中抗鄄HBs阳性51例,HBV鄄M全阴性者48例;2003年5月51例抗鄄HBs阳性者仍保持不变,但48例HBV鄄M全阴性者中13例各HBV相关抗体出现,占27.1%,其余35例HBV鄄M仍为全阴性;13例出现HBV抗体的患者接受血透治疗平均为3.5年,9例有输血史,与35例仍为HBV鄄M全阴性者相比无显著差异。②初始血透治疗前99例患者中抗鄄HCV阳性2例,抗鄄HCV阴性者97例;2003年5月上述患者中新增抗鄄HCV阳性51例,新增感染者与未感染者相比,血透治疗的时间显著较长(P<0.01),有输血史的患者亦显著增加(P<0.05)。结论:与普通人群相比血透患者感染HBV的危险性相当大;血透患者中存在着较高的HCV感染率,可能与HCV有较大的变异性导致对传染源的诊断遗漏以及丙型肝炎传播途径的多样性有关。     

Prevalence of heparin-induced antibodies in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) type II is a serious complication of heparin therapy. It presents initially as thrombocytopenia, and is associated with thrombosis in 20-50% of the cases. HIT is related to the presence of heparin-induced antibodies (HIA), which show specificity for the PF4-heparin (PF4-H) complex. The FcgammaRIIa receptor has been suggested to participate in the pathogenic mechanism of HIA. Since patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD) are exposed repeatedly to heparin, we studied the prevalence of HIA and their eventual relationship with thrombocytopenia and/or thrombosis, and the possible participation of the FcgammaRIIa polymorphism. We studied 207 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) undergoing HD. As a control we included 130 blood donors and 28 patients with CRF without HD. The HIA patients were studied with the use of a PF4-H ELISA. Additionally, in some positive cases for the previous test, a 14C- serotonin release assay (14C-SRA) was performed. The polymorphism FcgammaRIIa H/R131 was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with allele-specific primers. Thirty-seven patients (17.9%) undergoing HD presented with HIA. The majority of these antibodies were IgG, IgM, and IgA. The HIA investigated presented specificity against the PF4-H complex, but not against PF4 alone (P<0.001). Twelve out of 22 (54.5%) PF4-H antibodies were positive when tested with the 14C-SRA. The distribution of the FcgammaRIIa polymorphism in patients and healthy controls was 42.6% and 41.6% for H/H131, 41% and 48.9% for the H/R131 isoform, and 16.4% and 9.5% for the R/R131 isoform, respectively. No statistically significant difference in the FcgammaRIIa isoform distribution was found. Twenty-nine out of 156 patients (18.5%) presented thrombocytopenia, and 21/207 (12.4%) had thrombosis of the native vein arterio-venous fistula (AVF). We did not find any statistically significant between HIA and thrombocytopenia or thrombosis. An important proportion of patients with CRF undergoing HD developed HIA, but these cases were not associated with thrombocytopenia or thrombosis of AVF. The frequency of the FcgammaRIIa polymorphism did not statistically differ between HIT type II and normal controls.     

Multifactorial evaluation of endogenous intoxication in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C

The integral laboratory indices of endogenous intoxication (EI) (effective albumin concentration (EAC) and albumin binding reserve (ABR)) were studied in 104 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in the context of data on the current manifestations of the disease and the pattern of and association between different types of somatic pathology and toxic exposures. The patients with CHC were found to have significant changes in EI indices as compared with the control group wherein the indices were steady-state during conventional pathogenetic therapy. There was no clear correlation between the clinical symptoms of intoxication and EAC and ABR. More considerable changes were ascertained in CHC patients with degenerative diseases, biliary system diseases, and chronic constipation and in those with the signs of negative changes in the body's responsiveness.     

The activity of gastrointestinal enzymes in chronic viral hepatitis B and C

The study was undertaken to evaluate the enzymatic activity of the gastrointestinal tract in patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) B and C. Fecal tests were made in 44 patients. The general pancreatic maldigestion syndrome was observed in 18% of patients with CVH B and C. A direct relationship was found between the content of starch, and indigested muscle fibers, neutral fat, and digested cellulose, which points to the fact that there is a decrease in the pancreatic acinous tissue synthesis of just several enzymes, i.e. generalized pancreatic insufficiency was observed. It is recommended that all patients with CVH should undergo a fecal test whereby the enzymatic activity of the gastrointestinal tract may be, if a certain diet is given, evaluated to prescribe timely enzyme replacement therapy.     

肝细胞再生衰竭与慢性重型乙型肝炎的相关性

目的了解慢性重型乙型肝炎患者肝细胞再生衰竭的相关指标及其临床意义。方法检测慢性重型乙型肝炎患者的肝功能及相关生化指标,观察其临床转归,并比较慢性重型乙型肝炎肝衰竭患者中死亡者与存活者之间有关检查结果的差异,探寻其与肝细胞再生衰竭的关系。结果死亡组谷氨酰转肽酶（γ-GT）、血清白蛋白（ALB）随着病情加重呈进行性下降,而血清总胆红素（TBIL）进行性上升;好转组γ—GT、ALB随时间延迟趋于平行或有所回升,血清胆红素在发病第2周上升至最高,以后呈进行性下降;两组之间TBIL、γ—GT、ALB差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论临床观察上述指标有助于了解慢性重型乙型肝炎患者肝细胞坏死程度及肝干细胞新生肝细胞的能力,判断肝细胞再生衰竭,有助于为人工肝支持治疗及肝移植提供理论依据。     

Cytokine production in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C during treatment with interferon-alpha

Serum content of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha) and growth factors (GM-CSF, TGF-1 beta) and expression of CD14 and CD95 antigens on peripheral blood monocytes before and after 12-day therapy with alpha-interferon were studied in 25 patients with chronic viral hepatitis C (VHC). The concentrations of TNF alpha, GM-CSF, and TGF-1 beta were significantly increased (p < 0.05) and coexpression of CD14+ and CD95+ antigens on monocytes was increased by 61% in VHC patients in comparison with the control. After 3 months of therapy with alpha-interferon, the content of TNF alpha, GM-CSF, and TGF-1 beta essentially decreased and that of IL-6 increased; this was paralleled by improvement of clinical and laboratory parameters and decrease of coexpression of CD14+ and CD95+ antigens on blood monocytes. Modulation of the functions of immunocompetent cells and changed production of cytokines are apparently one of the mechanisms of inhibitory effect of alpha-interferon on HCV infection. Study of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors in the serum and expression of CD14 and CD 95 antigens on monocytes can serve as additional tests for evaluating the efficiency of interferon therapy in patients with VHC.     

Use of fluoroquinolones in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus-induced liver failure

Fluroquinolone antibiotics have been reported to have antiviral properties against RNA viruses, including hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the present study, five patients with advanced liver disease secondary to chronic HCV received 500 mg daily of oral ciprofloxacin for 30 days. Serum HCV-RNA levels and liver enzyme abnormalities remained largely unchanged. Thus, the role of fluoroquinolones as antiviral agents for chronic HCV in patients with advanced liver disease appears to be limited.     

Management of chronic hepatitis B and C in HIV-coinfected patients

One-third of HIV-infected individuals worldwide suffer from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but chronic hepatitis C affects more than 75% of HIV-positive subjects infected parenterally, such as haemophiliacs and intravenous drug users. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, on the other hand, occurs in 10% of HIV-infected persons, coinfection being more prevalent in Southeast Asia. There are two main reasons for considering HCV and HBV therapy as a priority in HIV-coinfected patients: first, the more rapid liver disease progression seen in this population, leading to end-stage liver disease complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma, at younger ages; and second, the higher risk of developing hepatotoxicity following the initiation of antiretroviral therapy in subjects with underlying chronic hepatitis than in HIV-monoinfected individuals. As highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically improved the prognosis of those with HIV disease, the consequences of associated illnesses such as hepatitis B and C, which are currently among the leading causes of hospital admission and death in the HIV-infected population, have become more relevant. Therefore, the adequate management of viral hepatitis should now be considered a priority in HIV-coinfected patients. Several guidelines have recently been released in response to this demand. In this article, we discuss the most critical issues highlighted in these documents.     

Detection of replicative intermediates of hepatitis C viral RNA in liver and serum of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

The hepatitis C virus is a positive stranded hepatotropic RNA virus. We describe a method of detecting positive and negative strands of hepatitis C viral RNA using the polymerase chain reaction. We tested serum and liver tissue from nine patients with chronic hepatitis C. The positive RNA strand of HCV was detected in the sera and livers of all nine, the negative strand was detected in the livers of eight (89%), and in the sera of five (55%). Titers of both strands of HCV RNA were determined by serial endpoint dilutions. The amount of the negative strand in the serum and liver was usually 10-100 times less than the positive strand. Predigestion of serum with ribonucleases did not alter the detection of the negative strand. This suggests that the negative strand found in the serum may be protected from digestion by being associated with virions.     

慢性乙型肝炎患者血清免疫学指标结果分析

目的对不同乙型肝炎病毒载量的慢性乙型肝炎患者的血清免疫指标进行结果分析,为临床提供更多的实验室信息,满足临床需求。方法使用实时荧光定量PCR仪检测120例临床已确诊的慢性乙型肝炎患者及40例健康体检者血清病毒拷贝数。将患者血清HBVDNA检测结果分为A、B、C3组,其中A组(40例):103～104copy/mL,B组(40例):105～106copy/mL,C组(40例):大于107copy/mL,健康对照组(40例):小于1.00×103copy/mL;采用免疫比浊法应用日立7600全自动生化分析仪分别检测每组血清免疫球蛋白(IgG、IgA、IgM)、补体(C3、C4)以及超敏C反应蛋白(hs-CRP)指标。结果结果显示3组(患者组)血清IgG、补体C3水平分别与健康对照组比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.01);C组血清补体C4、hs-CRP水平与健康对照组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.01或P0.05);A组与C组间血清IgA水平比较差异有统学意义(P0.05),其余组间比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论血清IgG、补体C3指标可以作为反映肝脏损伤的敏感指标,将有助于临床诊断、治疗;通过患者组间比较发现血清免疫学指标的变化可能与乙型肝炎病毒载量的高低及肝组织损伤的严重程度无关,同时也为研究乙型肝炎的发病机制积累资料。     

Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus testing in patients with hepatitis B and C infection

OBJECTIVES: To determine the proportion of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) who are adequately assessed for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to identify variables associated with absence of HIV testing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who had positive serologic test results for reactive HBV and/or HCV between January 1999 and December 1999 and were followed up at a general internal medicine clinic in East Harlem, NY. Data were collected on patient demographics, HIV risk factors, and other variables that might influence the physician's decision to test the patient for HIV. Primary outcomes were HIV tests performed and documented discussions of at-risk HIV behavior. RESULTS: The HIV tests were performed in 40% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32%-49%) of the 141 patients with reactive HBV and/or HCV serologic test results. Predictors of HIV testing on multivariate logistic regression were age younger than 50 years (odds ratio [OR], 25; 95% CI, 13-3.8), male sex (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.2), and having an established primary care provider (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2-3.9). Injection drug use was not significantly associated with HIV testing. CONCLUSIONS: Although HBV and HCV have clear epidemiological links with HIV, this study shows that a high percentage of these patients are not being tested. Although some of the factors associated with lack of testing were identified, further studies on the barriers to HIV testing are needed to reveal potential approaches to increase rates of HIV testing in this high-risk population.     

Somatopsychic manifestations in patients with chronic viral hepatitis

The aim of the work was to study somatopsychic manifestations in patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH). MMPI profiles, state and trait anxiety were assessed in 110 patients. Boundary psychic problems were evaluated using the Beck scale. It was shown that mean MMPI T-score in patients with CVH was above 50; half of them developed "neurotic triad"; hypochondria occurred in 37.3%, depression in 42.7%, and hysteria in 37.1%. The highest level of state anxiety was documented in patients with HCV infection and isolated HBCor At. The CVH-1b genotype was associated with enhanced occurrence of depression in patients having virus-positive blood for 1-5 years. The level of state and trait anxiety in them was lower than in patients with duration of viremia over 5 years.