BACKGROUND Nucleoside analogues are recommended as antiviral treatments for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated liver failure. Clinical data comparing entecavir (ETV) and lamivudine (LAM) are inconsistent in this setting. OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy and safety of ETV and LAM in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-associated liver failure. PATIENTS AND METHODS A liter...

BACKGROUND The first line of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs are the most effective standard of drugs for TB. However, the use of these drugs is associated with hepatotoxicity. Silymarin has protective effects against hepatotoxicity of anti-TB drugs in animal models. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of silymarin on hepatotoxicity caused by anti-TB drugs. METHODS This is a pro...

Intrahepatic T helper (Th)17 cytokine and serum interleukin (IL)-17 levels in patients with hepatitis B are positively correlated with the progression of liver cirrhosis (LC). IL-35 can significantly inhibit the differentiation of Th17 cells and the synthesis of IL-17. The present study aimed to investigate the function and expression of IL-17 and IL-35 in the blood of patients with hepatitis B...

BACKGROUND Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 infections in felids have been reported in several countries. Feeding on infected birds has been suggested as potential source of infection. OBJECTIVES The study aimed to verify gastrointestinal infection as possible portal of entry for HPAIV H5N1 in cats. METHODS Four cats were infected oculo-nasopharyngeally with 10⁶ 50% egg ...

Sleep deprivation affects all aspects of health. Adverse health effects by sleep deviation are still underestimated and undervalued in clinical practice and, to a much greater extent in monitoring human health. We hypothesized that sleep deprivation-induced mild organ injuries; oxidative stress and inflammation might play a crucial role in inducing multi-organ injury. Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 6-...

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of h(1) calponin mRNA expression on the biliary tract dynamics, and investigate the molecular mechanisms of gallstone formation in pregnancy. METHODS This study was carried out in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, and in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan, China from July to December 2004. Thirty ...

AIM To study the cholestatic forms of viral hepatitis A that are described as unusual and very rare, but that are of great significance because of their severe course and high morbidity rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS We describe herein 17 cases of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection with pronounced cholestasis treated in the Clinic of Infectious Diseases at St. George University Hospital between 20...

Silymarin has been introduced fairly recently as a hepatoprotective agent. But its mechanisms of action still have not been well established. The aim of this study was to make alcoholic fatty liver model of rats in a short time and investigate silymarin's protective effects and possible mechanisms on alcoholic fatty liver for rats. The model of rat's alcoholic fatty liver was induced by intraga...

conclusions etv and lam treatments had similar effects to improve 24 weeks survival rate of patients with chb-associated liver failure, but etv was associated with greater clinical improvement. both drugs were tolerated well during the treatment. it is suggested to perform further studies to verify the results. background nucleoside analogues are recommended as antiviral treatments for patients...