To evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy of adenine arabinoside (Ara-A) and alpha-interferon (alpha-INF), 40 patients with biopsy proven chronic active hepatitis B were chosen at random to receive Ara-A (15 mg/Kg, iv, for 10 day) or alpha-INF (3 million unit, sc, every other day for 12 wks) and followed up to 12 months after completion of the therapy. All patients were HBeAg positive. T...

A cohort of 181 patients with hemophilia A (149) and hemophilia B (32) cared for at the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania was followed to determine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroprevalence, seroconversion rate, and clinical and immunologic correlates of HIV infection. By December 1986, 82 (45%) were HIV seropositive, and of these, ten (12%) had developed AIDS, 28 (34%) had symp...

BACKGROUND To probe seroepidemiology of the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) among health care workers (HCWs) in a children's hospital. METHODS From August 2009 to March 2010, serum samples were drawn from 150 HCWs in a children's hospital in Taipei before the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, before H1N1 vaccination, and after the pandemic. HCWs who had come into direct contact with 2009 inf...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant health concern in patients with end-stage renal disease under dialysis. Epidemiological studies have reported a prevalence rate of 5.5-55.9% for this condition in Iran. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the risk factors for HCV infection and seroconversion in hemodialysis patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was performe...

Background: Despite a global decline in mortality and morbidity from measles in the last decade, outbreaks continue to occur in some parts of the world including Nigeria. Objective: To determine antibody response to routine measles vaccination in Nigerian children and evaluate vaccine potency. Methods: A prospective study of 234 children selected from 3 health centres in an urban area of Lagos,...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is quickly spread through injection drug use. The prevalence and incidence of HCV in Chinese heroin users has been rarely reported. METHODS A longitudinal cohort of young injection drug users (IDU) from southern China was established to study the risk factors for blood-borne infections (597 subjects). Individuals underwent analysis for the presence of hepati...

BACKGROUND It remains controversial as to whether HIV-1 subtypes influence disease progression. Singapore offers a unique opportunity to address this issue due to the presence of co-circulating subtypes. We compared subtype CRF01_AE and non-CRF01_AE infected patients, with regards to estimated annual rate of CD4+ T-cell loss and time from estimated data of seroconversion (EDS) to antiretroviral...

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND, AIM, AND METHODS: Alpha interferon is the generally approved therapy for HBe antigen positive patients with chronic hepatitis B, but its efficacy is limited. Lamivudine is a new oral nucleoside analogue which potently inhibits hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA replication. To investigate the possibility of an additive effect of interferon-lamivudine combination therapy compared...

Background, aim, and methods—Alpha interferon is the generally approved therapy for HBe antigen positive patients with chronic hepatitis B, but its eYcacy is limited. Lamivudine is a new oral nucleoside analogue which potently inhibits hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA replication. To investigate the possibility of an additive eVect of interferon-lamivudine combination therapy compared with interfero...

Background. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is highly infectious with potential to cause nosocomial outbreaks and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk. Universal serological investigation was seldom performed and effectiveness of varicella vaccination was unknown among HCWs. Methods. All employees of Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH), Changhua, Taiwan, were tested for anti-VZV antibodies and sero...