Current prevalence of hepatitis A,B and C in a well-defined area in rural Crete,Greece

A seroepidemiological study was carried out in a geographically well-defined area in rural Crete in order to determine the prevalence of A, B and C hepatitis markers in the local population. Serum samples were obtained from 257 subjects (94 males, 163 females), aged 15 years and over, who visited the primary health care services of the Spili Health Centre between July 1993 and March 1994, and from 164 subjects (83 males, 81 females) randomly selected from households in three neighbouring villages of the study area. In samples obtained from the Spili Health Centre, antibodies to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) were detected in 234/244 (95.9%) subjects, antibodies to hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAb) were detected in 63/257 (24.5%) subjects and antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) were detected in 28/257 (10.9%) subjects. The corresponding figures for those randomly selected from the villages were 135/154 (87.7%), 16/164 (9.8%) and 5/164 (3%) respectively. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was positive in three (1.2%) subjects from the first group, while none of those recruited from the villages were positive for HBsAg. Interestingly, hepatitis markers were closely associated with age. No subjects under the age of 15 years showed evidence of prior hepatitis A infection and approximately 20% of those between 15 and 44 years of age were also negative. By contrast, practically all subjects older than 44 years were anti-HAV positive. Similarly, the majority of all those who were anti-HCV positive were older subjects. Seroepidemiology of hepatitis in this well-defined population seems to be different from other parts of Greece, at least for hepatitis B and C viruses. There is a very low prevalence of HBsAg and a very high incidence of anti-HCV. Low exposure to HAV, as found in other parts of the country, was also found in the younger generation in this rural area of Crete.     

非甲—戊型病毒性肝炎患者血清庚型肝炎病毒感染的研究

采用ＥＬＩＳＡ法及逆转录—ＰＣＲ（简称ＲＴ—ＰＣＲ）法检测３６例非甲—戊型肝炎患者血清庚型肝炎病毒抗体（简称抗ＨＧＶ）和庚型肝炎病毒（简称ＨＧＶＲＮＡ）。结果：７例（１９．４％）抗ＨＧＶ阳性，２例（５．４％）同时ＨＧＶＲＮＡ阳性；急性肝炎抗ＨＧＶ阳性者临床表现与抗ＨＧＶ阴性者无显著差异，慢性肝炎抗ＨＧＶ阳性者较抗ＨＧＶ阴性者轻。提示：ＨＧＶ可引起急、慢性肝炎，在非甲—戊型肝炎中占有一定比例，但不是主要原因。     

鸟氨酸-天门冬氨酸联合乳果糖治疗肝性脑病疗效观察

目的探讨鸟氨酸-天门冬氨酸(雅博司)联合乳果糖治疗肝性脑病的疗效.方法选择56例肝性脑病患者,在综合性治疗的基础上,给鸟氨酸-天门冬氨酸20g/d静脉滴注;乳果糖20ml口服或鼻饲,每日三次.另选36例患者作为对照组,给一般综合性治疗,同时给乙酰谷酰胺1.0g/d静脉滴注,分别治疗20天.结果治疗组病死率明显下降,与对照组相比,有显著性差异(x2=4.02,P＜0.05),在降低血氨及促进脑电图改善方面,两组也存在显著性差异.结论雅博司联合乳果糖治疗慢性重型肝炎合并的肝性脑病,疗效显著,值得研究和应用.     

病毒性肝炎60例临床与病理分析

对６０例病毒性肝炎患者进行肝穿刺活检，结果发现，临床与病理诊断的符合率为４６．６％，其中，急性肝炎的诊断符合率最低（２３．８％），慢性迁延型肝炎（慢迁肝）为４４．８％；ＨＢｓＡｇ阳性首次发病的患者中，急性乙型肝炎仅为１１．２％（２／１８）；临床诊断的慢性活动型肝炎（慢活肝）仅为病理检出的２５．７％（９／３５）；肝炎患者中脾肿大，凝血酶元时间延长、Ａ／Ｇ值＜１．２、抗ＨＢｃＩｇＭ阳性可作为慢活肝与慢迁肝鉴别的重要指标。这些对提高病毒性肝炎临床分型诊断的准确率及指导临床治疗有意义。     

血清前－S_2蛋白检测的临床意义

采用ＥＬＩＳＡ法检测１０４例各类型乙型肝炎（乙肝）患者的血清前－Ｓ２抗原（Ｐｒｅ－Ｓ２Ａｇ）及其抗体（Ｐｒｅ－Ｓ２Ａｂ），结果表明，Ｐｒｅ－Ｓ２Ａｇ的出现与ＨＢｓＡｇ、ＨＢｅＡｇ、ＨＢｃＡｂ呈显著相关性（Ｐ值均＜０．００５），主要见于乙肝急性期及慢性乙肝患者，说明病毒复制活跃、传染性强。而Ｐｒｅ－Ｓ２Ａｂ阳性仅见于急性乙肝恢复期。     

慢性乙型肝炎的中医药生态治疗优势

现代医学的生物、心理与社会医学模式特点之一是对以身心疾病为主的现代疾病的预防和治疗 ,更加注重人体的整体性、强调药物作用的多靶点性 ,即整体调节作用。运用中医学的整体观与辩证论治治疗慢性疾病。如肝病的生态治疗就是发挥绿色天然中药复方的多重综合、双向调节功能 ,调动人体的防御机能 ,强调药物作用的多靶点性及整体调节作用以清除病毒、调节免疫、增强抵抗力、恢复肝功能、防止肝炎的慢性纤维化     

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody in an area endemic for hepatitis B virus and human T cell leukaemia virus

To clarify the prevalence of concurrent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human T cell leukaemia virus (HTLV), we measured HCV antibody in the population of a district endemic for HBV and HTLV infection. Blood samples were collected in June 1990 from 579 inhabitants of four islands of Uwa Bay in the southwest of Ehime Prefecture in Japan. Anti-HCV antibody against C100-3 protein was detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Ortho Diagnostics). Thirteen of the 579 inhabitants (2.2%) were positive for anti-HCV, and this prevalence rate was not significantly different from the frequency of anti-HCV in Tokyo blood donors. A total of 11% (64 of 579) of the subjects were positive for HBsAg and 3.3% (19 of 579) were positive for anti-HTLV. These frequencies of HBsAg and anti-HTLV positivity were distinctly higher than the respective means of Japanese. All anti-HCV positive individuals were negative for HBsAg and anti-HTLV, while 54% (7 of 13) had increased alanine aminotransferase levels. These data suggest that the prevalence of HCV infection is not high even in an area endemic for HBV and HTLV infection.     

Evaluation of the Crithidia assay to distinguish between auto-immune chronic active hepatitis and systemic lupus erythematosus

The aim of this study was to determine if the Crithidia luciliae assay for auto-antibodies to double-stranded DNA, often positive in systemic lupus erythematosus, is always negative in auto-immune chronic active hepatitis (CAH) as has recently been suggested. Twenty-five patients were identified as having auto-immune CAH. Mean duration of follow-up was 10.5 years. Antinuclear antibodies were detected in 92%, smooth muscle antibodies in 76% and antimitochondrial antibodies in 16%. Antibodies to double-stranded DNA were detected by the Crithidia assay in four patients (16%). Two of these patients had positive tests on only one occasion and no features of systemic lupus erythematosus. In the other two the assay was persistently positive. During follow-up both developed arthritis and serositis but the liver lesion remained the dominant clinical feature. It was concluded that there is significant serological overlap between auto-immune CAH and systemic lupus erythematosus making the Crithidia assay unreliable in distinguishing between them.     

病毒感染与小儿短暂性滑膜炎关系的研究

探讨小儿短暂性滑膜炎与病毒感染 ,特别是柯萨奇B组病毒 (CVB)感染的关系。方法 :采用酶联免疫吸附试验 (ELISA)对 16 2例小儿髋关节短暂性滑膜炎患儿静脉血和其中的 2 1例关节腔液进行病毒IgM抗体检测 ,柯萨奇病毒B组 (CVB)阳性者进行血清学分型及病毒分离。结果 :在 16 2例静脉血样本中病毒IgM阳性 6 2例 ,占总检数的 38.2 7% ,CVB -IgM2 6例占 16 .0 5 % ,AdV -IgM 19例占 11.73% ,CMV -IgM 10例占 6 .17% ,RSV -IgM 4例占 2 .4 7% ;在关节腔液中检出 9例CVB阳性 ,血清学分型 8例为CVB3,1例为CVB4 ,并分离出 1例CVB3。结论 :CVB和腺病毒 (AdV)是小儿髋关节短暂性滑膜炎感染的主要病毒 ,而且以CVB3为主。     

Interactions Between Cytomegalovirus, Human Herpesvirus-6, and the Recurrence of Hepatitis C After Liver Transplantation

Recurrence of hepatitis C (HCV) following liver transplantation is common. Herpesvirus reactivation following transplant may have an immunomodulatory effect resulting in increased HCV replication. We studied whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) may be associated with HCV recurrence and viral load after transplant. We prospectively followed 66 HCV liver-transplant recipients with serial viral load testing for CMV and HHV-6. Infection and viral load were correlated with the development of biopsy-proven HCV recurrence and HCV viral loads. Histologic recurrence of HCV occurred in 41/66 (62.1%) patients. In the primary analysis, CMV infection and disease, and HHV-6 infection were not associated with HCV recurrence. Peak CMV and HHV-6 viral loads were not significantly different in patients with and without recurrence. No correlation was observed between HCV viral loads at 1 and 3 months post-transplant and peak HHV-6 or CMV viral loads. In a subgroup analysis, HHV-6 infection was associated with the development of more severe recurrence (hepatitis and/or fibrosis score > or = 2) (p = 0.01). Also, fibrosis scores at last follow up were higher in patients with CMV disease (1.67 vs. 0.56; p = 0.016) and in patients with HHV-6 infection (1.18 vs. 0.55; p = 0.031). In conclusion, HHV-6 and CMV infection and viral load were not associated with increased overall rates of HCV recurrence or HCV viral load after liver transplantation but may be associated with more severe forms of recurrence.