Clinico-pathological predictive factors of response to interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C.

We performed a clinico-pathological study to determine which pre-treatment factors could predict the response to interferon (IFN) therapy in 55 Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C. Responses to the IFN therapy were evaluated as sustained response, relapse and non-response by the presence or absence of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA during the course of treatment and at least 6-months post-treatment. The numbers of sustained response, relapse and non-response were 16 (29.0%), 25 (45.5%) and 14 (25.5%), respectively. Eight out of 16 sustained response cases (50%) showed HCV genotype III. Eight among 10 patients with HCV genotype III (80%) were sustained responders. HCV genotypes were found to be correlated with the response to the IFN therapy (p < 0.0001). None of the histological features, the types of the IFN therapy and other clinical factors showed significant differences. These findings suggest that outcome of the IFN therapy in chronic hepatitis C can be predicted by a virological factor, and that HCV genotype III is a useful predictor of a favorable outcome.

Difference in histological activity of non-tumorous liver tissue between hepatitis B virus- and hepatitis C virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis.

To elucidate the difference in the liver carcinogenetic process during hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, non-tumorous liver tissues obtained from 10 patients who developed HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without cirrhosis were compared with those obtained from 26 patients who developed HCV-associated HCC without cirrhosis. The extent of fibrosis was similar in both groups. In contrast, necroinflammatory activities were significantly higher in patients with HCV than in patients with HBV. These results indicate that ongoing liver inflammation mediates the hepatocarcinogenesis more pronouncedly in HCV infection than in HBV infection.

Detection of hepatitis B virus genome in hepatocellular carcinoma from both hepatitis B surface antigen- and antibody to hepatitis C virus-negative patients.

Twenty-two patients who tested seronegative for both hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers and undefined pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were studied using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among these patients, 5 (23%) were positive for HBV-DNA in serum by PCR, but no patient was positive for HCV-RNA by reverse transcription PCR. Liver tissue specimens were available for analyzing HBV genome by PCR in 17 patients, and HBV sequences were detected in 10 (59%) patients. These results indicate that HBV is commonly implicated in serologically undefined pathogenesis of HCC in Japan.

[Epidemiologic and therapeutic study on gonococcal infections--clinical efficacy of cefetamet pivoxil].

We studied the epidemiology of 109 cases of gonococcal infections (105 males with urethritis and 4 females with cervicitis), together with the basic and clinical effects of cefetamet pivoxil in the cases. The peak of age distribution of the male patients was in the younger half of their twenties, and all of the 4 female cases were between 20 and 39 years old. The major source of infections in the males younger than 25 years old was their girl friends or so-called pick-up friends, and that of the males older than 25 years old workers serving at an amusement center, for example, bars and so-called special massage parlor, which accounted for about three fourths of the male cases between 35 and 44 years old. The distribution of the MIC (inoculum size; 10(6) CFU/ml) of Cefetamet against beta-lactamase non penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (non-PPNG) ranged from 0.025 to 0.1 microgram/ml and that against beta-lactamase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae ranged from 0.025 to 0.05 microgram/ml. The isolation rate of PPNG was 10.2% (9/88). In male patients with gonococcal urethritis, the efficacy rate was 100% on days 3 and 7 for 1,000 mg single dose and 7-day treatment and 500 mg single dose treatment. One of the cases treated with 250 mg single dose therapy was unchanged at 3, but the efficacy rate of the remaining cases was 100% at day 7. Complicated urethritis with C. trachomatis was noticed in 25.7% (5/105) of the male urethritis and in 25.0% (1/4) of the female cervicitis cases. The only side effect was diarrhea observed in 1 of the 124 case (0.8%).