Effect of antiviral therapy in reducing perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus and maternal outcomes after discontinuing them

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There have been numerous efforts to reduce mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with antiviral agents during pregnancy. However, there are limited data regarding the outcomes of pregnant women after delivery. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of antiviral agents in preventing MTCT of HBV and maternal long-term outcomes. METHODS: The HBV-infected pregnant women treated with antiviral agents to prevent MTCT were retrospectively reviewed. Forty-one pregnant women who received telbivudine or tenofovir during late pregnancy (28-34 week) were analyzed. Hepatitis B virus surface antibody (HBsAb) positivity was tested in 43 infants after 7 months of birth. Eleven mothers were followed >1 year after delivery. RESULTS: The mean HBV DNA titer before antiviral therapy was 8.67 (6.60–9.49) log copies/mL, and the median age at delivery was 32 years (range, 22–40). Eleven patients were treated with tenofovir and 30 with telbivudine. The median duration was 57 days (range, 23–100), and the median HBV DNA titer at birth was 5.06 log copies/mL (range, 2.06–6.50). Antiviral treatments were associated with significant HBV DNA reduction (P 12 months, and an antiviral agent was administered. CONCLUSIONS: Antiviral treatment during late pregnancy effectively reduced MTCT. Long-term follow-up should be required in such cases. In addition, given that maternal biochemical flare occurred in 18% of mothers, re-administration of antiviral agents might be required.

Development of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia during standard treatment of hepatitis C with Peg-IFNα2b

No abstract available.

A Decade-old Change in the Screening Rate for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Among a Hepatitis B Virus-infected Population in Korea / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Evaluating a change in the screening rate for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is critical for understanding screening implementation, and whether targeted population groups are receiving proper screening. This study examined recent nationwide changes in HCC screening use among hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected populations after the introduction of the Korean National Cancer Screening Program and predictors of screening adherence.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We analyzed 165 and 276 participants ≥40 years of age who were hepatitis B surface antigen-positive from 2001 (14,936 participants) to 2010-2011 (9159 participants) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, respectively. Demographic data, socioeconomic factors, and HCC screening use were collected by means of self-reported questionnaires.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rate of HCC screening within the previous 2 years increased significantly from 17.5% in 2001 to 40.3% in 2010-2011 (P < 0.0001). The rate of HCC screening use increased from 2001 to 2010-2011 in all study populations. Subjects who had a higher income status and were aware of their infection were more likely to have undergone recent HCC screening.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study showed a substantial increase in HCC screening in high-risk HBV-infected subjects from 2001 to 2010-2011. However, the HCC screening participation rate remained suboptimal despite the introduction of the nationwide screening program. Efforts should be made to identify high-risk individuals and increase attendance at HCC screening events among high-risk groups.</p>

Recurrence of Multiple Focal Nodular Hyperplasia in a Young Male Patient / 대한소화기학회지

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is the second most common benign hepatic tumor that is usually found in women. Diagnosis of FNH mainly depends on imaging studies such as color Doppler flow imaging, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. It is characterized by the presence of stellate central scar and is nowadays incidentally diagnosed with increasing frequency due to advances in radiologic imaging technique. FNH typically presents as a single lesion in 70% of cases and generally does not progress to malignancy or recur after resection. Herein, we report a case of a young male patient with recurrent multiple FNH who underwent surgical resection for presumed hepatic adenoma on computed tomography.

Tracheoesophageal Fistula in the Treatment of Gastric Variceal Hemorrhage with Sengstaken-Blakemore Tube

The Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (SB tube) is used to control esophageal or gastric variceal bleeding in emergencies, and various complications have been reported following its use. Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is an extremely rare complication after SB tube insertion. We herein present a case of an 80-year-old female patient who experienced TEF after repeated insertion of the SB tube to control recurrent gastric variceal hemorrhage.

Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Using Hepatitis B Core Antibody-Positive Grafts in Korea, a Hepatitis B-endemic Region

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The exclusion of hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-positive donors from liver transplants (LTs) due to the risk of transmitting hepatitis B virus (HBV) does not appear to be practical in Korea, where hepatitis B is endemic. This study assessed the risk of de novo HBV infection in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative LT recipients receiving a liver from HBcAb-positive donors. METHODS: Of 341 adult living donor LTs conducted at our institution between March 2001 and September 2008, 176 donors (51.6%) were HBcAb-positive, and 26 HBcAb-positive grafts were transplanted to HBsAg-negative recipients. The median follow-up time after LT was 41.9 months. RESULTS: Without anti-HBV prophylaxis, 2 out of 26 (7.7%) HBsAg-negative recipients who received grafts from HBcAb-positive donors developed de novo HBV infection 20 and 85 months after LT. These patients had been negative for all HBV serologic markers before transplantation. In both cases, there were no abnormalities in liver function tests upon diagnosis of de novo HBV infection. CONCLUSIONS: De novo HBV infection from HBcAb-positive donors after LT does not appear to be of great concern in terms of the number of cases in Korea because high risk patients who are HBV-negative comprise only a small proportion of the recipients. However, HBV-naive LT recipients still carry the risk of developing de novo HBV infection as in non-HBV endemic areas.

Frequency of Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIRs) in Korean Patients with Chronic HCV Infection

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in innate immunity, especially in the response to viral infections, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV). Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are the primary receptors of NK cells that mediate innate immunity. KIRs are also involved in acquired immunity, because some KIRs are expressed on the surface of certain subsets of T cells. In this study, the frequency of KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes, and combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands were evaluated in two different groups of the Korean population: controls and patients with chronic HCV infection. The study population consisted of 147 Korean patients with chronic HCV infection. The frequency of KIR2DS2 in patients with chronic HCV infection was 9.5% which was significantly lower than 19.5% of the control (P < 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the frequency of other KIR genes, HLA-C allotypes or different combinations of KIR genes with their HLA-C ligands. This study can contribute to the further prospective study with a larger scale, suggesting the assumption that KIR2DS2 might aid in HCV clearance by enhancing both the innate and acquired immune responses of people in Korea.

Differences in the patterns and outcomes of enhanced viral replication between hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma during transarterial chemolipiodolization / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Enhanced replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is well described in the setting of moderate to severe immunosuppression. The aims of this retrospective study were to determine the incidence of enhanced HCV replication in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing transarterial chemolipiodolization (TACL) and to identify the factors associated with enhanced replication of HCV. The clinical pattern of enhanced HCV replication was compared with hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during TACL. METHODS: This study enrolled 49 anti-HCV-seropositive patients who were diagnosed with HCC between January 2005 and December 2010 and who underwent TACL using epirubicin and/or cisplatin with consecutive HCV RNA copies checked. For comparison, 46 hepatitis B surface antigen1-positive patients with HCC who were treated with TACL were also enrolled. The frequency, associated factors, and clinical outcomes of enhanced HCV replication were analyzed and compared with those of HBV reactivation during TACL. RESULTS: Enhanced replication of HCV occurred in 13 (26.5%) of the 49 anti-HCV-seropositive patients during TACL. Of these 13 patients, 4 developed hepatitis, but none of the subjects developed decompensation due to the hepatitis. No significant clinical factors for enhanced HCV replication during TACL were found. Compared with HBV reactivation, the frequency of hepatitis attributed to enhanced HCV replication was significantly lower than that for HBV reactivation (8.2% vs. 23.9%, P=0.036). CONCLUSIONS: TACL can enhance HCV replication; however, the likelihood of hepatitis and decompensation stemming from enhanced HCV replication was lower than that for HBV reactivation in patients undergoing TACL.

Spontaneous Visceral Artery Hemorrhage in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Combined with Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Case Report / 대한류마티스학회지

Spontaneous visceral hemorrhage is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report here on a 55-year old male with SLE and who presented with acute abdominal pain due to bleeding of the hepatic artery and the splenic artery. Angiography revealed a spontaneous hemorrhage from branches of the hepatic artery and the splenic artery. We report here on a case of spontaneous recurrent non-traumatic hemorrhage of a visceral artery in a patient with secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and such a condition has not been previously described in a Korean patient with SLE.

Clinical features of patients with fulminant hepatitis A requiring emergency liver transplantation: comparison with acute liver failure due to other causes / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: According to recent prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, acute liver failure (ALF) due to HAV infection is observed frequently in parallel. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical, laboratory, and pathologic features of patients who have undergone emergency liver transplantation (LT) due to fulminant HAV infection. METHODS: Clinical, laboratory, and pathologic data of 11 transplant recipients with anti-HAV IgM-positive ALF between December 2007 and May 2009 were analyzed, and compared with data of 10 recipients who underwent LT for the management of ALF due to other causes. RESULTS: The median age of the patients with HAV-related ALF was 34 years (range: 15-43 years). The levels of hemoglobin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine were higher and the level of bilirubin was lower in the HAV-related ALF group than in the other group (P=0.005, 0.001, 0.001, 0.010, and 0.003, respectively). The time from the onset of initial symptoms to the development of encephalopathy was shorter in the HAV-related ALF group than in the other group (median 5 days, range: 4-13 days; P<0.001). In patients with HAV-related ALF, laboratory findings and clinical prognostic parameters including the Acute Liver Failure Study Group prognostic index, King's College criteria, and model for endstage liver disease (MELD) and Child-Pugh scores were not associated with the grade of hepatic encephalopathy or time of progression to encephalopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the clinical condition of patients with HAV-related ALF requiring emergency LT aggravates rapidly. Prognostic parameters are not sufficient for discriminating transplant candidates in patients with fulminant hepatitis A.

The "Five-in-Seven" Guiding Technique to Overcome Proximal Coronary Tortuosity During Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

No abstract available.

Intracranial Hypotension with Spontaneous CSF Leakage in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus / 대한류마티스학회지

Headaches are not only one of the 19 different neuropsychiatric syndromes in SLE but also the most common chief complaint of patients with neuropsychiatric lupus. Approximately 50% of patients with SLE are presumed to have neuropsychiatric phenomena during their illness. There're no specific serological, radiological or histological biomarkers to confirm the clinical diagnosis of neuropsychiatric lupus. Therefore, physicians tend to try controlling lupus activity especially when the origins of the headache in patients with lupus are difficult to define. However, neuropsychiatric lupus can only be diagnosed after excluding other causes which is the point. A 47-year-old woman with lupus presented to the emergency department with the sudden onset of postural headache with nausea and vomiting. Through CSF tapping and CT myelography, intracranial hypotension with spontaneous CSF leakage was revealed. Her symptoms promptly improved after therapy using an epidural blood patch. Intracranial hypotension with spontaneous CSF leakage is rare disease, and it has never been reported in patients with SLE before. This case emphasizes the importance of finding out the origin of a headache in patients with lupus.

Clinical Analysis of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

PURPOSE: As a common and dangerous disease, an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) occurs in approximately 2-4% of the general population and recently the incidence of AAA has been gradually increasing in Korea. Since rupture of an AAA is recognized as a lethal event, a more aggressive policy of early diagnosis and of an elective repair of the AAA are that can be performed with a mortality rate of less than 5 percent is the approach of choice for treating an AAA nowadays. METHODS: This retrospective study reports our experience managing forty-two patients with an AAA who had been operated on between January 1993 and December 1999 at Korea University hospitals. RESULTS: Thirty- seven of the patients were male, and five were female. The mean age was 67.1 years. The most common clinical manifestation was abdominal pain in 26 cases (61.9%), followed by abdominal pulsatile mass in 20 cases (47.6%), and back pain in 12 cases (28.5%). The most common associated disease was hypertension in 24 cases (57.1%). An abdominal CT scan was performed in 26 cases (61.9%) and was the most commonly used method for diagnosis. Emergency repair of the AAA was performed in 10 cases; the repair was performed electively in the other cases. Among the 42 aortic grafts implanted for AAA repair, 37 were bifurcated Y grafts and 4 were straight tube grafts. Axillobifemoral bypass surgery was performed in the case of one infected aneurysm. Among the 42 cases, 10 cases (23.8%) experienced ruptures, requiring 4 urgent operation and 6 emergency procedures. Among the 42 cases, 6 patients (14.2%) expired. In the elective cases, one (3.1%) expired. In the urgent cases, one (25.0%) expired, and in the emergency cases, four (66.6%) expired. CONCLUSION: This study showed that an AAA should be considered as a possible cause of unexplained abdominal pain in aged patients. In such patients, various diagnostic tools must be used to eliminate the possibility of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Early diagnosis and elective surgery are crucial for a better outcome in the management of patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm.