Please cite this paper as: Karayiannis P, Serum Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Levels and Their Utility as a Predictor of Sustained Virological Response After Antiviral Treatment. Hepat Mon.2012;12(7):420-2. DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.6201 Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: Treatment of chronic hepatitis B with antiviral agents averts the development of cirrhosis and hep...

Influenza A virus (IAV)-induced severe disease is characterized by infected lung epithelia, robust inflammatory responses and acute lung injury. Since type I interferon (IFNαβ) and type III interferon (IFNλ) are potent antiviral cytokines with immunomodulatory potential, we assessed their efficacy as IAV treatments. IFNλ treatment of IAV-infected Mx1-positive mice lowered viral load and protect...

Antiviral drugs continue to be an important option for the treatment of influenza disease and will likely be the only option during the early phases of pandemic. However, the limited number of drug classes licensed for treatment of influenza raises several issues, particularly in the face of drug resistance. Two classes of drugs are presently licensed for treatment of influenza, M2 and neuramin...

The treatment of hepatitis C virus has changed dramatically with the rapid advent of numerous new antiviral agents, including direct-acting antivirals and agents with non-viral targets (cyclophilin inhibitors, interferon-lambda, vaccine therapy). Given the better safety profile and high antiviral potency of direct-acting antivirals, their combination in interferon-free oral regimens is becoming...

GB virus B (GBV-B) is the closest relative of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and is an attractive surrogate model for HCV antiviral studies. GBV-B induces an acute, resolving hepatitis in tamarins. Utilizing primary cultures of tamarin hepatocytes, we have previously developed a tissue culture system that exhibits high levels of GBV-B replication. In this report, we have extended the utility of this s...

The implementation of control measures during a pandemic must be carefully assessed particularly in the case of a fast transmitting disease like influenza in resource-limited situations. Optimal control strategies that rely on the use of antiviral treatment or isolation strategies can reduce the number of clinical cases. A model for the transmission dynamics model of influenza that incorporates...

Viral hepatitis is a major cause of chronic liver disease, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. New insights into the pathogenesis and molecular biology of hepatitis viruses have led to the discovery of novel antiviral agents. Likewise, a greater understanding of the natural history of chronic infection, predictors of disease p...

BACKGROUND Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can lead to fatal complications and death. Only a relatively small proportion of patients actually receive medication, and the majority requires long-term antiviral therapy that can result in the emergence of resistant strains of HBV. The study aimed to estimate the future burden of chronic hepatitis B in Spain over the next 20 years, the imp...

Purpose. To provide an overview of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and antiviral treatment options for influenza. Summary. Influenza infection causes significant morbidity and mortality every year. The high mutation rate and segmented nature of influenza virus genome gives rise to high genetic variability which enables the virus to escape antiviral and vaccine interventions. A novel H1N1 strai...

A large number of plants have been used by various societies for the treatment of disease. Tagetes minuta L. (Asteraceae) is an annual species native of South American, although it has became widespread throughout the world. It is used in medicinal tea and condiments. Decoction of the plant is used as beverage and as a remedy for common cold, digestive system complaints, stomach upsets, diarrhe...