Cryptogenic chronic liver disease and hepatitis C virus infection in children.

The clinical features of 'cryptogenic' chronic liver disease and the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in serum have been investigated in 33 Italian children (mean age 5 years). The diagnosis was based on the persistence of increased alanineaminotransferase values for longer than 6 months after the exclusion of biliary diseases, of extra-hepatic causes of hypertransaminasemia, of infection with known hepatotropic viruses and of autoimmune or metabolic disorders. Five patients had been transfused early in life, three had undergone surgery and one girl's mother had had acute non-A, non-B hepatitis during pregnancy. The remaining patients had no history of overt parenteral exposure. At presentation only 11 patients were symptomatic, the others had been referred after a check-up for intercurrent diseases. Liver histology performed in 21 cases showed persistent or mild active hepatitis in 18 cases and severe hepatitis or cirrhosis in three cases. Anti-HCV antibodies were found in 48% of the cases, including 88% with obvious exposure and 33% of the remaining cases. During a mean follow-up period of 5 years (range 1-14 years) only 11% of the cases achieved sustained biochemical remission, although none developed signs of liver failure. There was no significant difference in the clinical features and outcome of the disease between anti-HCV-positive and -negative patients. The results of this study suggest that HCV is implicated in most cases of 'cryptogenic' chronic liver disease observed in Italian children with a history of parenteral exposure and in at least one-third of the cases without overt exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织学纤维化分期与血清肝纤维化相关指标的关系

目的 探讨慢性乙型肝炎(CHB)肝组织学纤维化程度与临床血清肝纤维化相关指标之间的关系.方法 对189例人院诊断为CHB的患者行肝穿刺.同时检测血清HA、LN、PCⅢ、ⅣC、肝功能和血常规,并按组织学的不同纤维化分期(S)进行比较和相关性回归分析.结果 从肝纤维化So至S4期,PC Ⅲ、γ-GT、TBil、γ-球蛋白和PT渐增,差异有统计学意义(F值分别为3.325、6.218、2.958、10.160和7.028,P＜0.05);胆碱酯酶(CHE)、总蛋白(TP)、Alb、PLT值渐减,差异有统计学意义(F值分别为15.984、3.786、14.919和4.737,P＜0.01);LN、ⅣC、ALT和AST值在S各期比较差异有统计学意义(F值分别为4.618、2.795、2.649和3.199,P＜0.05).S分期与LN、PCⅢ、ALT、AST、TBil、γ-GT、γ-球蛋白、PT呈正相关(rs值为0.200、0.306、0.1 72、0.273、0.153、0.402、0.415、0.269),与CHE、TP、Alb、PLT呈负相关(rs值为-0.502、-0.208、-0.413、-0.390);LN、ALT、CHE、PLT、γ-球蛋白为肝纤维化分期的独立影响因素(P＜0.05).结论 肝组织学纤维化分期与血清肝纤维化、肝功能、血常规指标有不同程度相关.综合多项临床资料可早期无创性诊断肝纤维化.     

Hepatocyte membrane-bound IgG and circulating liver-specific autoantibodies in chronic liver disease: relation to hepatitis B virus serum markers and liver histology

Hepatocytes isolated from 101 biopsies were examined for membrane-bound IgG. The sera of the patients were tested for anti-liver-specific lipoprotein by radioimmunoassay and for liver membrane autoantibody (by indirect immunofluorescence on isolated rabbit hepatocytes. The seven patients with normal liver or minor nonspecific alterations were negative for membrane IgG and serum antibodies. Membrane IgG with granular distribution was found in 41 patients [21 hepatitis B virus-related chronic active hepatitis (CAH), 3 cryptogenic CAH, 3 chronic persistent hepatitis, 6 prolonged viral hepatitis, 1 alcoholic cirrhosis, and 6 primary biliary cirrhosis]. Membrane IgG with linear fluorescence pattern was detected in 12 cases (4 autoimmune CAH, 3 HBsAg-positive CAH, 2 alcoholic cirrhosis, 1 anti-HBc positive CAH, 1 cryptogenic CAH, and 1 prolonged viral hepatitis). A strong association between granular IgG and serum HBsAg was found. Nuclear localization of IgG was found in 34 patients and correlated with the positivity of granular membrane IgG. The highest prevalence of anti-liver-specific lipoprotein was found in primary biliary cirrhosis and autoimmune CAH cases which were also positive for liver membrane autoantibody. No relationship was found between the presence of membrane IgG and circulating liver-specific autoantibodies. Membrane IgG and anti-liver-specific lipoprotein correlated with the presence of moderate and severe portal inflammatory infiltration but not with piecemeal necrosis or transaminase levels. Eleven of the twelve patients with linear membrane IgG presented chronic active liver disease with moderate to severe signs of liver damage. Therefore, it is suggested that, while granular membrane IgGs are related to hepatitis B virus, antigenic expression on the hepatocyte surface and/or the presence of immune complexes, linear membrane IgG could play a role in the immunopathogenesis of liver cell damage particularly in "autoimmune" cases which present high percentages of positive cells liver-specific autoantibodies.     

血清免疫学标志阴性的乙型肝炎病毒携带者及慢性肝病患者的临床意义

目的：了解血清中乙型肝炎病毒免疫学标志物（HBVM）阴性而有病毒复制者的临床意义。方法：对50例疑为肝病需进一步检查的患者,经知情同意行肝活检,其中12例血清HBVM阴性者,经PCR法检测血清HBV DNA;肝组织以免疫组化检测HBsAg及HBcAg的表达;采用组织学活动指数（HAI）评估肝组织损伤程度;按慢性肝炎病理诊断标准进行分级（G）和分期（S）。结果：12例血清HBVM（－）者中原被临床疑为HBV携带者共5例,其中4例病毒负荷为10^4-10^5copies/ml、1例＜10^4copies/ml,汇管区及周围和小叶内炎症均为G1、纤维化程度分期为S1,有HBsAg,HBcAg单独或同时在胞质表达;其余7例中4例临床原疑为慢性肝炎者其病毒负荷2例＞10^6copies/ml、2例＞10^5copies/ml,而另3例临床疑为肝硬化者其病毒负荷量均低于10^4copies/ml,但其肝组织炎症病理改变程度较重、分级、分期有2例为G4、S4、1例为G3、S2,HAI达17、17,11分,有中等量的HBsAg,HBcAg单独或同时在胞质或胞膜表达。结论：本研究结果提示,血清HBVM均阴性的所谓HBV携带者并不少见,其预后的判断不容盲目忽视。对有临床症状但血清HBVM均阴性的患者应行进一步的病因学检查,以明确诊断。     

Pathogenesis of chronic liver disease in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection without serum HBeAg

Chronic hepatitis B in patients lacking hepatitis B e antigen has been attributed to a hepatitis B virus variant (G-to-A mutation at nucleotide 1896 in the precore region of the genome). We therefore assessed the frequency and significance of this variant among 43 United States patients (10 with chronic hepatitis B seropositive for e antigen, 19 seronegative for e antigen, and 14 healthy carriers). Sera were tested for HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction and branched DNA assay. The A₁₈₉₆ variant was detected by direct sequencing and ligase chain reaction. Serum HBV DNA was more frequently found among patients with e antigenpositive than e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B. Viral titers were generally higher in those with e antigen. None of the e antigen-positive and only 24% of e antigen-negative patients harbored the A₁₈₉₆ variant. Patients infected with the variant were more often Asian, had had hepatitis B for longer and had higher levels of viral DNA than HBeAg-negative patients with the wild-type virus. The A₁₈₉₆ variant was found exclusively in patients infected with HBV genotypes C and D. Thus, the A₁₈₉₆ variant is uncommon in the United States. The activity of liver disease appears to be more closely related to the level of HBV replication than the presence of mutations at nucleotide 1896 in the genome.     

Basal core-promoter mutant of hepatitis B virus and progression of liver disease in hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The long-term outcomes in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B are distinct from those in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis. However, the molecular virological factors that contribute to the progression of liver disease in this special clinical setting remain largely unknown. We thus investigated the association of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes as well as precore/basal core-promoter mutations with the clinical and virological characteristics of patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B in Taiwan. METHODS: HBV genotypes and sequences of precore and basal core-promoter regions of the HBV genome were determined in 174 HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection patients including 62 inactive carriers and 112 with different stages of liver disease. RESULTS: HBV carriers with older age (> 50 years) (odds ratio, 9.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.22-25, P < 0.001) and basal core-promoter mutant of HBV (odds ratio, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.41-12.03, P = 0.01) were associated with the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The gender-related risk factors associated with the development of liver cirrhosis and HCC were further analyzed, and basal core-promoter mutant was only associated with the development of liver cirrhosis and HCC in male carriers (odds ratio, 4.35; 95% CI, 1.30-14.52, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of development of liver cirrhosis and HCC is significantly increased in patients with advanced age as well as with basal core-promoter mutant of HBV. In addition, basal core-promoter mutant might contribute to the gender difference of the progression of liver disease in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B in Taiwan.     

Virus replication and liver disease in chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Recent studies on the natural history of chronic hepatitis B virus infection have provided evidence for a close temporal relationship between the phase of active virus replication and development of liver lesions. To assess the role that virus replication plays in this phase in determining the severity of the liver disease, we studied serum levels of virus-specific DNA-polymerase activity and hepatitis B_e antigen/antibody status in 48 chronic carriers of the hepatitis B surface antigen found positive for the hepatitis B core antigen in the liver. There was a remarkably evident inverse correlation between virus replication activity and liver disease activity, patients with minimal histological changes having the highest DNA-polymerase levels (mean±sd: 3879±2557 cpm) and those with severe chronic active hepatitis the lowest enzyme levels (419±246 cpm), while cases of chronic persistent hepatitis and of mild chronic active hepatitis had intermediate levels. Serum hepatitis B_e antigen was detected in 31/32 patients with milder liver lesions and in 11/16 with severe liver lesions; the remaining five cases were anti-HB_e-positive despite the presence of the core antigen in the liver. Serum levels of virus replication markers closely correlated with the distribution pattern of the core antigen in the liver. These findings indicate that in chronic hepatitis B the severity of liver disease is not directly related to levels of virus replication, thus suggesting a predominant role of host immune mechanisms.     

延边地区朝、汉族慢性乙型肝炎患者血清标志物与HBV DNA定量的关系

目的:探讨延边地区朝、汉族慢性乙型肝炎患者血清HBVM表现模式与HBVDNA含量的关系.方法:采用荧光定量聚合酶联反应(FQ-PCR)和酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测慢性乙肝患者1773例(朝鲜族1074例,汉族699例)血清HBVDNA含量及HBVM,比较分析朝、汉族HBVM表现模式与HBVDNA含量的关系.结果:HBVM表现模式中朝、汉族在A组(HBsAg 、HBeAg 、HBcAb )各占40.69%、47.07%(P<0.01),B组(HBsAg 、HBeAb 、HBcAb )和C组(HBsAg 、HBcAb )各占47.07%,38.34%及7.18%,4.58%(均P<0.05).两个民族A、B组HBVDNA的阳性率(A:93.82%,93.92%;B:47.54%,47.39%)相似,在A组HBVDNA含量主要以高含量(≥1014-1016copies/L,70.73%,72.17%)为主,B组多数以低含量(≥106-1010copies/L,51.64%,51.18%)为主.结论:延边地区朝、汉族HBVM表现模式有明显差异,但HBVDNA的阳性率相似,HBVDNA含量与HBVM表现模式明显相关.     

Smouldering hepatitis B virus replication in patients with chronic liver disease and hepatitis delta virus superinfection

Hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA) was studied by Southern blot analysis in liver biopsy specimens from 75 HBsAg-positive patients with chronic liver disease living in southern Italy. Twenty-seven of the patients were hepatitis delta virus (HDV) superinfected. Intrahepatic HBV-DNA was detected in 54 (72%) patients, 32 (59%) of them with replicative forms. The presence of replicative forms was directly related to liver HBcAg and inversely related to liver HDAg, as shown by multivariate analysis. However, 14 patients with intrahepatic HBV-DNA non-replicative pattern and about half of HDV-infected patients were liver HBcAg and/or serum HBV-DNA positive, mostly in low amounts. Histological inflammatory activity was strongly related to liver HBcAg expression regardless of HDV superinfection, as confirmed by multivariate analysis. Our results confirm previous studies about the concordance between intrahepatic HBV-DNA replicative pattern and liver HBcAg expression and about inhibition by HDV of high-level HBV replication. However, they suggest that low-level HBV replication may have an important role in causing liver damage also among HDV-infected patients, in a population where the spreading of HBV and HDV is a naturally occurring event.     

慢性乙型肝炎肝纤维化分期与血清肝纤维化标志物的相关性分析

目的 探讨血清透明质酸、Ⅲ型前胶原、层粘蛋白、Ⅳ型胶原等血清肝纤维化标志物与慢性肝炎肝组织炎症活动度及纤维化程度的相关性。方法 278例慢性肝炎患者经肝脏活栓后常规病理检查,肝活检前同时采血检测血清透明质酸、Ⅲ型前胶原、层粘蛋白、Ⅳ型胶原,结果应用x^2检验及t检验进行统计学处理。结果 肝组织纤维化程度与炎症活动度呈正相关关系,透明质酸可反映中度以上慢性肝炎炎症活动度及纤维化程度,且呈正相关;肝脏存在纤维化时层粘蛋白水平升高,与纤维化程度正相关;Ⅲ型前胶原、Ⅳ型胶原水平升高与炎症活动度有关。结论 血清透明质酸、Ⅲ型前胶原、层粘蛋白、Ⅳ型胶原可不同程度反映肝纤维纤维化程度,可作为血清肝纤维化检测指标,透明质酸更可反映肝硬化发展趋势。     

High serum adiponectin correlates with advanced liver disease in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Purpose  Adiponectin possesses anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties. Little is known about the role of adiponectin in hepatitis B-related liver disease. Methods  Serum adiponectin and hepatitis B viral factors were cross-sectionally assayed in 280 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection including 120 patients with chronic HBV infection, 40 patients with cirrhosis, and 120 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); 116 healthy adults were used as controls. The dynamics of serum adiponectin level was also studied longitudinally in 25 patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion (SC). Results  We found that serum adiponectin level in patients with chronic HBV infection was similar to that in healthy controls and was significantly lower than patients with cirrhosis and HCC. In univariate analysis, high serum adiponectin level significantly correlated with the presence of HBV-related cirrhosis or HCC, abnormal serum ALT level, and HBV genotype C. Multivariate analysis revealed that high serum adiponectin level significantly correlated with the development of HCC. Serum adiponectin levels remained stationary in patients experiencing HBeAg SC. Conclusions  Our findings suggest that HBV infection itself does not affect adiponectin levels. Serum adiponectin level correlates with the progression of HBV-related liver diseases but not with the development of HBeAg SC.     

Prediction of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B by serum markers

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Liver biopsy has been considered as the gold standard for assessing fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis. The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of using serum tests to predict the presence of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHODOLOGY: Fibrosis scores for 153 patients were established by examining liver biopsy specimens. Serum was obtained from each patient around the time of the biopsy and analyzed by standard laboratory techniques. Student's t test, univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression were employed to test the presence of statistical significance. RESULTS: Only platelet count was an independent factor that could predict the presence of significant fibrosis. Platelet count was lower (p = 0.04) in the group with moderate/severe fibrosis. When platelet count was above 150 x 10(9)/L, the negative prediction value and specificity for the presence of significant fibrosis was 0.78 and 0.87 (AUC under ROC curve was 0.68). In this study, AST/ALT ratio was not associated with either activity or fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that platelet count is an independent noninvasive marker for prediction of the presence of significant liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.     

Occult hepatitis B virus among chronic liver disease patients in Yemen

ObjectiveTo estimate the rate of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).MethodsAfter an informed consent, sera samples were collected during April 2004 to April 2005 from 280 patients (200 male and 80 female). They were previously diagnosed with CLD based on history and ultrasound and were investigated for occult HBV infection. Sera were first screened for HBsAg and those which showed negative were tested for anti-HBc. The anti-HBc positive sera were further tested for anti-HBs to identify sera with isolated anti-HBc which in turn were subjected to HBV–DNA testing using PCR to determine the rate of occult HBV infection. Moreover, sera with occult HBV were tested for Anti-HCV and HCV-RNA using RT-PCR.ResultsHBsAg was detected in 44 of 280 (15.7%). Of 236 HBsAg negative sera anti-HBc was detected in 22 (9.3%). All anti-HBc positive sera were found to be anti-HBs negative. HBV–DNA was detected in 11 of 22 (50.0%) sera with isolated anti-HBc indicating occult HBV in 4.3% of all sera. None of the sera with occult HBV had anti-HCV or HCV-RNA.ConclusionsOccult HBV infection does exist among CLD patients in Yemen and the mechanism of its occurrence merits further investigation.     

High prevalence of anti-hepatitis B virus serological markers in patients with hepatitis C virus related chronic liver disease in Japan

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Evidence is accumulating that hepatitis B virus (HBV) is present in patients who are hepatitis B surface antigen negative but have antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Furthermore, recent studies have shown that patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who have antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) often possess HBV related serological markers. Data on the seroprevalence of HBV infection in patients with HCV related chronic liver disease were collected to evaluate the significance of the presence of antibodies to HBV. METHODS: The prevalence of HBV related serological markers was analysed in a total of 2014 Japanese patients with HCV infection. The control group comprised 352 subjects without liver disorder. RESULTS: A large number of patients (49.9%) with HCV related chronic liver disease including hepatocellular carcinoma were positive for anti-HBc. In addition, the prevalence of anti-HBc closely correlated with the clinical stage of the liver disease. There was no relation between a past history of blood transfusion and the prevalence of anti-HBc. Notably, anti-HBc was the only serological marker for HBV infection in a significant number of patients with HCV related chronic liver disease (24.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide further evidence for the high prevalence of anti-HBc in patients with HCV related chronic liver disease, particularly those with hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting that HBV infection, probably including latent infection, may play an important role in carcinogenesis in these patients.     

Expression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers in chronic liver disease positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV)

We investigated expression of HBV markers in chronic liver disease positive for antibody to HCV (anti-HCV). Sera from 107 patients with chronic non-A, non-B liver disease, 65 HBs antigen carriers with chronic liver disease and 14 asymptomatic HBV carriers were tested for the presence of anti-HCV. Anti-HCV was detected in 83 (78%) patients with chronic non-A, non-B liver disease, irrespective of the past history of blood transfusion, and anti-HCV prevalence was similar in each category of chronic liver disease. Fifty-three (64%) out of these 83 sera positive for anti-HCV has also antibodies to HBV. Anti-HBc antibody was detected frequently in liver cirrhotics with hepatocellular carcinoma than in chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis and cirrhotics without hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, titers of anti-HBc antibody were significantly higher in cirrhotics with hepatocellular carcinoma than in the other groups. On the other hand, anti-HCV was detected in 7 out of 65 patients with HBV-related liver disease. Four out of these 7 were patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Anti-HCV was detected in none of asymptomatic HBV carriers. These findings suggest that infection with both HBV and HCV is likely to cause more serious liver disease than infection with a single agent.     

Precore mutant hepatitis B virus infection and liver disease.

The type of hepatitis B virus ("wild-type" or precore mutant) in anti-e antigen antibody-positive carriers, viral DNA levels in the serum, and core and e antigen expression in the liver were investigated to search for a possible correlation of these factors with the severity of liver damage. Two major groups of patients were found: the patients in group A were predominantly infected with precore mutant virus and had chronic active hepatitis, expressed nuclear/cytoplasmic core and e antigens in liver biopsy specimens, and usually had high levels of viral DNA in their serum; patients in group B were infected with a mixture of wild-type and mutant viruses, had predominantly chronic persistent hepatitis, showed weaker expression of nuclear core antigen with no cytoplasmic core or e antigen, and had low viremia. A few patients were infected with viruses without precore stop-codon mutation. These data indicate a high prevalence of precore mutant viruses in anti-e carriers with chronic liver disease and suggest that monitoring of virus sequence type and DNA level may be of prognostic value for liver disease sequelae.     

Coinfections with hepatitis g and/or c virus in hepatitis B-related chronic liver disease

Concurrent infections with HGV and/or HCV (HGV/HCV) were investigated in 196 patients with HBV-related chronic liver disease (115 chronic hepatitis, 31 liver cirrhosis, 50 hepatocellular carcinoma), and in 100 HBsAg carriers. Coinfections were detected in 18 (9.2%) patients with HGV (10) or HCV (5) or both agents (3), but in none of the HBsAg carriers. Patients with coinfection were more frequently exposed to blood transfusions (55.6% vs 5.6%) and also were more commonly anti-HBe positive. Serum levels of HBV-DNA were lower in patients with HCV coinfection than in those coinfected with HGV. Interferon was administered to 39 patients with chronic active hepatitis including 7 patients with HGV/HCV coinfection. Sustained clearance of HBV-DNA was observed in 10 (25.6%) patients who were solely infected with HBV. These patients were significantly younger and had much lower histological scores than non-responders. Patients with HCV coinfection had significantly higher pre-treatment histological scores than those without HCV. After interferon treatment, a significant reduction in histological scores was observed in all patients except those coinfected with HGV/HCV. None of the 7 patients with coinfection had sustained clearance of HBV-DNA or HCV-RNA, and only one had cleared HGV-RNA. These results suggest that parenteral exposure is a risk factor for HGV/HCV coinfection in chronic HBV infection. HGV infection shows no significant impact on chronic HBV infection. HCV coinfection appears to inhibit HBV replication, but causes more severe chronic hepatitis and increases resistance to interferon therapy.