The treatment goal for chronic hepatitis B is true eradication of the hepatitis B virus, but this is rarely achieved with first-line treatment regimens because of an inability to disrupt covalently closed circular DNA and an inadequate host immune response. Therefore, new antiviral agents are needed to target various stages of the hepatitis B virus lifecycle and modulation of the immune system....

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with several adverse health outcomes, and vitamin D appears to have systemic antimicrobial effects that may be crucial in a variety of both acute and chronic illnesses. In the present study, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels were compared among patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, naturally immunized individuals and control individuals. Thirty-...

Background. Information regarding the progression of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection to chronic infection in adults is scarce. Methods. Twenty-five adult patients with acute HBV infection (14 men and 11 women, 18-84 years old), whose clinical features progressed to those of chronic infection (group A) or did not (group B), were studied retrospectively. Results. There were 3 and 22 patie...

Corresponding author: Dr. Oguz Karabay, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Golkoy, Bolu, Turkey. E-mail: [email protected] Hepatitis B infection is prevalent worldwide and a major health burden due to the associated complications of hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma that occur in the context of chroni...

The woodchuck hepatitis virus is a naturally occurring hepatitis B-like virus that infects the eastern woodchuck. Direct immunofluorescence staining for woodchuck hepatitis virus core antigen in liver biopsies demonstrated the presence of this antigen in 14 of 17 chronically infected woodchucks, and in 8 of 10 woodchucks undergoing acute infections. Fluorescent localization of woodchuck hepatit...

Background and Objectives: Vaccination is the major strategy to protect nurses against infection with hepatitis B virus. However, some nurses do not produce sufficient amount of anti-HBsAg antibody required for immunity against infection. Chronic occupational stress has been proposed as a risk factor to humoral immunity. Given that nursing staff is exposed to occupational stress risk, this stud...

conclusions elevated aminotransferases in chb patients are most commonly caused by exacerbation of chb. nevertheless, when hbv dna is not elevated, other reasons should be excluded. amongst others, superinfection with another hepatotropic virus can be the reason for decompensation of chronic hepatitis b. this case report describes an asymptomatic hev superinfection followed by a flare in hbv re...

Antiviral drugs have an established role in the management of selected patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Of the hepatitis viruses (A to E), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) (also called delta virus) cause chronic hepatitis with the potential for development of cirrhosis and its complications, including primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HDV ...

In this study, we investigated the roles of T follicular helper (TFH) cells and related molecules in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The levels of circulating TFH cells and their surface CD40 ligand (CD40L), as well as CD19(+) B cells and their surface CD40 expression were detected by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood plasma interleukin (IL)-21 levels were detected...

Background: Torque teno virus (TTV) was the first human Anelloviridae detected in a Japanese patient with an unknown type of hepatitis in 1997. TTV is by far the first known single-stranded circular DNA virus infecting human. In spite of its widespread nature in human population, its pathogenesis is still unclear. In addition, information regarding TTV infection in Iranian population is limited...