The role undertaken by antimicrobial peptides in neutralizing immune inflammation in patients with infection remains unclear. Human cathelicidin LL37 is an antimicrobial peptide upregulated by 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D, which has not been previously studied in patients with HCV infection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the serum levels of LL37 as an anti-inflammatory factor in 46 subjects (25...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) variants characterized by genomic deletions in the structural protein region have been sporadically detected in liver and serum of hepatitis C patients. These defective genomes are capable of autonomous RNA replication and are packaged into infectious viral particles in cells co-infected with the wild-type virus. The prevalence of such forms in the chronically HCV-infect...

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the critical stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The persistence of necroinflammatory lesions and fibrogenesis in NASH is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and, ultimately, hepatocellular carcinoma. To date, the histological examination of liver biopsies, albeit invasive, remains the means to distinguish NASH from simple steatosis (NAFL)....

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The FibroTest (FT) demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance in the prediction of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Here, we aimed to identify predictors of discordance between FT and liver biopsy (LB) in Asian patients with CHB. METHODS Consecutive patients with CHB who underwent both LB and FT on the same day between 2007 and 2010 were recrui...

BACKGROUND Hepatotoxicity due to herbal remedies is being increasingly recognized. Centella asiatica (Centella asiatica Linn Urban) is commercialized for multiple conditions. Its active principles are pentacyclic triterpenic saponosides (asiaticoside, madecassoside). CLINICAL CASE STUDIES We present three women (61, 52 and 49 years old) who developed jaundice after taking Centella asiatica fo...

Hepatocellular injury in renal transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unclear. The suppressed immune response, in combination with increased viremia levels, provides a unique setting for the study of a potential HCV-induced apoptotic process. Liver biopsy specimens from 59 HCV-infected renal transplant recipients were examined histologically. DNA fragmentation was ...

OBJECTIVE Liver biopsy is still the gold standard for the determination of liver fibrosis and necroinflammatory activity. It is an invasive method and may lead to severe complications. The aim of this study was to determine the evaluation of percutaneous liver biopsy complications in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS 1165 patients, who were followed with the diagnos...

In the last half of the 20th century, use of the liver biopsy has grown to serve multiple purposes: (1) confirmation of clinical diagnosis, (2) assessment of severity of necroinflammation and fibrosis, (3) evaluation of possible concomitant disease processes, and (4) assessment of therapeutic intervention. The current practice for reporting histopathological evaluation of chronic hepatitis invo...

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a common liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis. Oxidative stress is one of the central mechanisms causing hepatocellular injury in the disease. In this study, antioxidant therapy using both vitamins C and E was conducted in patients with NASH. METHODS Vitamin E 300 mg/day and vitamin C 300 mg/day were administered orally to 23 patients ...

Knowledge of genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has clinical importance due to genotype 1 lower response to treatment compared with genotypes 2 and 3. The goal of this survey was to describe clinical and laboratorial profiles of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in the State of Piauí, as well as to expand the overall awareness of the distribution of HCV genotyping in Northea...