BACKGROUND Either combination treatment or monotherapy using agents with a high genetic barrier are recommended for the retreatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. In search of reasonable treatment, we compared the efficacy and safety of lamivudine (LAM) plus adefovir (ADV) and entecavir (ETV) alone for retreatment of patients with viral relapse after cessation of ADV. PATIENTS AND MET...

Lipoarabinomannan (LAM), one of the few known bacterial glycosylphosphoinositides (GPIs), occurs in various structural forms in Mycobacterium species. It has been implicated in key aspects of the physiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the immunology and pathogenesis of tuberculosis. Yet, little is known of the biosynthesis of LAM. A bioinformatics approach identified putative integral mem...

The parasitic protozoan Leishmania donovani is the causative organism for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) which persists in the host macrophages by deactivating its signaling machinery resulting in a critical shift from proinflammatory (Th1) to an anti-inflammatory (Th2) response. The severity of this disease is mainly determined by the production of IL-12 and IL-10 which could be reversed by use o...

BACKGROUND & AIMS We compared the mortality and treatment response between lamivudine (LAM) and entecavir (ETV) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with severe acute exacerbation and hepatic decompensation. METHODS From 2003 to 2010 (the LAM group) and 2008 to 2010 (the ETV group), 215 and 107 consecutive CHB naïve patients with severe acute exacerbation and hepatic decompensation treated w...

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease characterised by proliferation of abnormal smooth muscle-like cells (LAM cells) leading to progressive cystic destruction of the lung, lymphatic abnormalities and abdominal tumours. It affects predominantly females and can occur sporadically or in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. This review describes the recent progress in our understan...

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare (orphan) lung disease, in which the lung parenchyma is progressively replaced by cysts associated with a proliferation of immature smooth muscle cells and perivascular epithelioid cells (so-called LAM cells) around lymphatic vessels [1, 2]. LAM can be sporadic, almost exclusively affecting females, or can be associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TS...

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disorder of unknown cause that affects women of reproductive age. The disorder is characterized by the proliferation of atypical smooth muscle cells (LAM cells) around airways, blood vessels, and lymphatics with cystic destruction of the lung. LAM may occur sporadically or may be associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Clinically, patients may ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS To investigate the association between the baseline profiles and dynamics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA polymerase gene mutations and the long-term virological response of lamivudine (LAM)-adefovir (ADV) combination therapy in patients with LAM-resistant chronic hepatitis B. METHODS Seventy-five patients who received LAM-ADV combination therapy for more than 12 months were an...

BACKGROUND/AIMS To investigate pre-existing hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies and the genotypic evolution of several variants. METHODS From six patients with lamivudine (LAM) failure, serum samples at pretreatment, 6 months of LAM therapy, and virologic breakthrough were obtained. One hundred clones with HBV inserts in each patient were sequenced at each time point. Pretreatment serum samp...

We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of urinary and pericardial fluid (PF) lipoarabinomannan (LAM) assays in tuberculous pericarditis (TBP). From October 2009 through September 2012, 151 patients with TBP were enrolled. Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and/or pericardial histology were the reference standard for definite TBP. 49% (74/151), 33.1% (50/151) and 17.9% (27/151) of patients had def...