The primary hepatocytes cultured from adult BALB/c mice were readily transfected by plasmid DNA and could be immortalized at a frequency of approximately 0.1 to 0.6 x 10(-7) cells/micrograms of the transfected DNA. There was no detectable plasmid DNA at the tenth cell passages. A total of five mouse hepatocyte cell lines were established. Most of them were tumorigenic. Three of the established ...

Total ethanol extract and saponins from Chinese herb radix Astragali (huangqi) have been previously shown to possess anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activities in vitro. To identify the active ingredients, we isolated a triterpenoid saponin that was determined to be astragaloside IV. In the human HBV-transfected liver cell line HepG(2) 2.2.15, astragaloside IV effectively suppressed secretion of H...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate viral vaccine antibody levels in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after chemotherapy and after vaccine booster doses. METHODS Antibody levels against hepatitis B, rubella, measles and mumps vaccine antigens were evaluated in 33 children after completing chemotherapy (before and after vaccine booster doses) and the results were compared to the data of 33 healthy...

BACKGROUND We analyzed serologic data that were obtained from the Korea Association of Health from 1995 to 1999 to estimate the reliable prevalence of HBV in South Korea. METHODS 603,375, 639,465, 621,476, 612,705 and 650,398 serum samples were annually tested for HBsAg. Of HBsAg positive persons whose serum samples were available, HBeAg positivity was checked. RESULTS HBsAg positivities am...

 Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its sequelae which include cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma is a major public health problem throught the world.The WHO strategy for effective control of HBV infection is vaccination with the surface antigen of virus(HBsAg).The results obtained from a large number of studies demonstrated that the vaccine induces a protective antibody resonse (anti-HB...

Background: Several adjuvants have been evaluated for vaccine formulations but alu-minum salts will continue to be used for many years due to their safety, low cost and adjuvanticity with different antigens. Two commonly used aluminum adjuvants, alumi-num hydroxide and aluminum phosphate have different adjuvanticity properties. Com-mercial recombinant protein hepatitis B vaccines containing alu...

The absence of readily manipulable experimental systems to study the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigens has thus far precluded a definitive demonstration of the role played by this response in the pathogenesis of liver cell injury and viral clearance during HBV infection. To circumvent the problem that HBV infection of human cells in vitro for product...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Healthcare workers (HCW) have an increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases and are a potential source of infections for their patients. The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has no national policy regarding HCW vaccinations and routine vaccination coverage is low within the general population. This cross-sectional serostudy determines the level of exposure a...

Evidence of chronic hepatitis was found on histological examination in nine out of 15 patients positive for hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg) who had either chronic renal failure or a functioning renal transplant. Cirrhosis had already developed in three of the patients, who deteriorated rapidly and died. Liver biopsies from the remaining 12 patients showed the features of chronic aggressive ...