جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « hepatitis b virus » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

Rotavirus and Hepatitis A virus are responsible for causing gastroenteritis and jaundice. The current vaccination approaches have proven insufficient, especially in low-income countries. In this study, we presented a novel dual-vaccine candidate that combines the rotavirus VP8 protein and the hepatitis A virus VP1.

The VP8*-rotavirus+AAY+HAV-VP1 fusion protein was produced using an Escherichia coli expression system. The recombinant protein had a molecular weight of approximately 45.5 kDa and was purified through affinity chromatography. BALB/c mice were injected subcutaneously with the recombinant protein, VP1, VP8 and vaccines for rotavirus and hepatitis A virus, both with and without ALUM and M720 adjuvants. ELISA assays were used to measure total IgG, IgG1, IgG2, and short-term and long-term IL-5 and IFN-γ responses.

The fusion protein, when combined with adjuvants, elicited significantly higher total IgG, IgG1, and IgG2 re- sponses compared to VP1 and VP8 alone, as well as the rotavirus and hepatitis A vaccines. Furthermore, it induced a higher short-term IL-5 and IFN-γ response while demonstrating a higher long-term IL-5 response compared to the rotavirus and hepatitis A vaccines.

This study demonstrates that the VP8*-rotavirus+AAY+HAV-VP1 fusion protein is a promising dual vaccine candidate for immunization against hepatitis A and rotaviruses.

 Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors in clinical practice, with hepatitis B virus (HBV) being the most common risk factor for HCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as a new marker for disease diagnosis and molecularly targeted therapies; however, the mechanism of miR-642a-5p in HBV-associated HCC remains unclear.

 The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of miR-642a-5p, which targets DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4), in HBV-associated HCC, and its effect on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HBV-positive HCC cells.

 miR-642a-5p in the serum of patients with HBV-associated liver cancer (LC), as well as miR-642a-5p and DDIT4 mRNA in LC tissues and cells, and HBV DNA in HBV-positive cells were detected. The targeting of DDIT4 by miR-642a-5p and the progression of cells were also examined. All cell experiments were repeated five times.

 The results indicated that levels of miR-642a-5p were decreased, while levels of DDIT4 were increased in the serum, tissues, and cells of HBV-positive HCC patients. Overexpression of miR-642a-5p inhibited the progression of HBV-positive HCC cells, suppressed HBV DNA replication, cell proliferation, and invasion, and promoted apoptosis in HepG2.2.15 cells.

 In addition, miR-642a-5p directly targeted DDIT4, and knockdown of DDIT4 reversed the effects of miR-642a-5p upregulation, promoting the progression of HBV-positive HCC cells. In conclusion, miR-642a-5p is expressed at low levels in HBV-associated HCC and inhibits HBV DNA replication and tumor progression in HBV-positive HCC by targeting DDIT4. This study provides a foundation for molecular targeted therapy in HBV-positive HCC.

 Epidemiological studies on liver transplant (LT) patients can provide valuable information about the etiology and trends of cirrhosis. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and trend of different etiologies and survival rates of LT patients at the Namazi Transplant Center in Shiraz, Iran, between 2001 and 2018.

 In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, the demographic and clinical characteristics of 3751 patients who underwent LT and met the study inclusion criteria, including age, gender, blood group, body mass index, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, cause of cirrhosis, and diabetes, were extracted from patients’ physical or electronic medical records between 2001 and 2018.

 The MELD scores of LT patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cirrhosis significantly decreased over the study period (P<0.001). Among the LT patients, HBV infection had the highest frequency (21.09%), followed by cryptogenic (17.33%) and PSC (17.22%). The proportion of patients with PSC and NASH (both P<0.001) cirrhosis was significantly increased, so that PSC cirrhosis (2016: 19.4%, 2018: 18.8%) surpassed HBV (2016: 18.4%, 2018: 13.5%), autoimmune hepatitis (2016: 11.7%, 2018: 12.7%), and cryptogenic cirrhosis (2016: 16.1%, 2018:14%) as the leading indication for LT from 2016 to the end of the study period. Fortunately, these patients had a better survival rate than other common diseases (HR: 0.53, CI: 0.43‒0.66; P<0.001).

 The proportion of NASH and PSC cirrhosis significantly increased during the 18 years of study. However, these patients had an improved survival rate. Therefore, health organizations should pay more attention to non-communicable diseases, especially fatty liver disease and cholangitis.

Mobile-based self-care applications can help patients with hepatitis increase their awareness about various aspects of the disease. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a self-care mobile app for viral hepatitis.

This study was conducted in three steps. In the first step, a questionnaire containing 24 topics in four sections was used to determine the potential app contents. In the second step, the app was developed using the Android Studio 3 development environment and Kotlin programming language. In the third step, the quality of the app was evaluated using mobile app rating scale (MARS). The Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction (QUIS) was used to evaluate user satisfaction.

A high priority was given to the following contents of the medical and health information section; describing ways of transmitting hepatitis (81.7%), dealing with high-risk behaviors (80.6%), and methods of preventing hepatitis (79.6%). The MARS and QUIS evaluations’ results showed that the quality of the app and the user satisfaction with it were at a good level.

Since according to the participants, the topics related to the “medical and health information” section were the most important contents, we recommend addressing this part in designing other self-care apps.

In India, it is estimated that there are 40 million people suffering from Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Quantification of the viral burden is an important laboratory tool in the management. However, widespread use of different HBV-DNA assays is still affected by the high cost and variable diagnostic precision. The present study was conduct- ed to evaluate the diagnostic precision and co-relation of ALT levels with HBV-DNA by Truenat®-PCR.

In this prospective cross-sectional study a total of 567 serums were collected from patients by rapid HBsAg, and processed for liver function tests (LFT). The viral HBV-DNA amplification detection was carried out through by Truenat®-PCR test.

Out of 567 samples, 452 samples were found to be positive by both rapid and Truenat®-PCR and 106 were negative for HBV-DNA followed by 9 invalid. High ALT level found in 73% of positive patients who had HBV-DNA level (>100000 copies/ml) which is significantly higher in 447 patients as compared to those have below ≤100000 copies/ml.

Truenat®-PCR technique is a highly sensitive and can be performed with low resources for effective control of HBV infection. Evaluation of HBV-DNA levels and serum ALT levels showed a significant proportion of patient harbored ongoing viral replication and disease progression.

Persistent infections caused by either hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the principal etiologies of cirrhosis on a global scale, with the potential to progress to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Typically, for HCC detected in its early stages, liver transplantation (LT) represents the optimal therapeutic intervention, as it addresses both the malignancy and the associated liver ailment in a concurrent manner. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 18-25 nucleotide RNA molecules that are known for their regulating ability during various developing processes of each cell and tissue especially in multicellular organisms. Considering the regulatory potential of miRNAs, any alterations in their expression pattern such as mutations that produce single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), might cause anomalies like tumors. In this review manuscript a systematic approach was used to investigate the studies performed to evaluate the role of Host miRNA SNPs in the outcome of viral based (HBV and HCV) HCC. The search was directed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases that resulted in 33 related original articles and 8 reviews that used for finding any missing reports. Therefore, in this review it is tried to discuss the importance and relation of SNPs in host miRNAs during viral induced HCC complications.

 Viral infections are associated with augmented morbidity and mortality risk in Hemodialysis (HD) patients.

 In this investigation, we have scrutinized the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), and occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI), in HD patients. In this cross-sectional study, the blood samples and data from 200 hemodialysis patients referred to a dialysis center in Kerman, from January 2022 to March 2023 were collected. Anti-HBV antibodies and HBs Ag were analyzed in the specimens using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All samples were tested for OBI by using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay.

 Of the 200 patients considered, 4 (2%) for HBs Ag were positive. Real-time PCR demonstrated OBI in 2 (1%) patients. The majority presence of viral infection was in the age group 50≥ years, self-employment, low education level, and diabetic patients. Furthermore, our study revealed that a higher percentage of HD patients were associated with low educational levels, self-employment, urban residence, and comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension.

 In this study, HBV antigen prevalence was 2%, and OBI prevalence was 1%, indicating a low HBV incidence in HD patients. Our study underscores the importance of lifestyle improvement, increased awareness among lower-educated and lower-skilled individuals, and rigorous disinfection practices in managing risk factors for hemodialysis patients, including HBV and OBI.

 Viral infections have been a major public health concern in recent years. Viral hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the serious healthcare system issues in Iran. Family transmission of HBV in pregnant women is a major cause of the high prevalence of HBV infection in neonates and related persons. The expanded program on immunization (EPI) was the main way to prevent this infection.

 This study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccine in infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers in Khorasan Razavi province.

 This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 53 HBsAg-positive women between March 2017 and April 2019 in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to conduct screenings for HBsAg in children. Risk factors for HBV infection were investigated using medical records and structured questionnaires.

 The prevalence of HBsAg positivity was 1.2% (1/83) among children aged 1-3 years old. All children received three doses of HBV vaccine according to the HBV immunization program. The positive hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) test among children under study was 80.7% (n=67).

 The results indicated a low prevalence of hepatitis B infection among infants and children born to HBsAg-positive mothers (1.2); however, protective anti-HBs levels were reported in 80.7% (<95%) of the children. It appears that the efficiency level of the hepatitis B vaccination procedure was not sufficient in this study. Overall, revaccination is recommended for children who are anti-HBs-negative or not protected.

Viral hepatitis is one of the world’s top five infectious diseases that cause premature death. Each year, at least one million people die from these infections worldwide. This study investigated the epidemiological features and trend of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in Abadan City, southern Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on recorded data of HBV and HCV infections from the notifiable disease surveillance system of Abadan University of Medical Sciences from 2014 to 2020. The incidence per 100,000 population for HBV and HCV infections has been calculated by study years and age groups. The chi-square test was applied to compare various types of infections. The average age of the participants was 40.47±13.20, ranging from 1-88 years. This study estimated the prevalence of HBsAg-positive cases from 2014 to 2020 as 1.53, 6.92, 7.07, 7.07, 8.15, 3.23, and 3.38 per 100,000, respectively. Also, the incidence of HCV-infected cases during these years were 3.23, 6.46, 11.84, 6.46, 8.92, and 2.15 per 100,000 populations, respectively. The average age of patients varied widely based on the type of hepatitis (P=0.001) so that the mean age in HBV-infected patients was 41.06±12.41 years, 41.76±12.99 years in HCV-infected and 22.93±18.02 years in HBV/HCV-infected patients. The findings of this study suggest a lower prevalence of hepatitis B and C compared to other regional studies conducted in Iran. In recent years, the incidence of HBV and HCV has declined, indicating the successful implementation of the vaccination plan and observance of health tips in Abadan.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most common infections in hemodialysis patients, which has been associated with increased incidence of morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

The current study aimed to evaluate the HCV antibody, occult HCV infection (OCI), and related risk factors among hemodialysis patients.

In this cross-sectional study, 100 hemodialysis patients referred to a dialysis center in Kerman between December 2021 and March 2022 were assessed for HCV, OCI, and their related risk factors. The information related to risk factors was collected by questionnaire, while HCV and OCI were detected through serology and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, respectively.

Among the patients participating in the study, 61 were men, and 39 were women. The average age was 58.1 ± 14.9 years in men and 63.6 ± 11.4 years in women. Diabetes and hypertension history, old age, low education, self-employment, and urban living were more common in chronic kidney disease patients. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed 3% positive seroprevalence HCV infection, but only 1% was positive for OCI. Although no statistically significant relationship was found between the presence of HCV (antibody and OCI) and other parameters, all positive HCV cases were identified in patients with low education and freelance employment.

Hemodialysis patients had a low prevalence of HCV antibody and OCI. Improving various factors and conditions such as lifestyle, occupation, educational level, and dialysis ward and machine disinfection could be beneficial in managing and controlling hemodialysis complications such as HCV and OCI.

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) infection may be common in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) patients and may lead to chronic infection as well as cirrhosis. We intended to determine the incidence of HEV infection among HIV-1 patients in comparison to individuals without HIV-1 infection.

In our cross-sectional study, 87 HIV-1-positive patients were compared to 93 healthy individuals in Kerman, Iran. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from all participants. Plasmas were evaluated for HEV IgM and IgG using the ELISA kit. Then, reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) was used in RNA extractions from PBMCs to check for the presence of HEV RNA.

Among the subjects examined in our study, 61 (70.1%) and 71 (77.4%) out of patients with HIV-1 infection and healthy individuals were male, respectively. The average ages of patients with HIV-1 and the control group were 40.2 years and 39.9 years, respectively. No discernible differences existed between the two groups based on IgM and IgG seropositivity against the HEV. However, HEV-RNA was found in 8% of patients with HIV-1 and 1.1% of HIV-1-negative individuals (P=0.03). There was also an association between the HEV genome and anti-HEV and anti-HCV antibodies in HIV-1-positive patients (P=0.02 and P=0.014, respectively).

HEV infection was more common in HIV-1 patients and may develop a chronic infection in immunocompromised individuals. Here, we suggest molecular-based HEV diagnostic tests, including RT-PCR assays, should be performed in HIV-1 patients with unknown impaired liver function tests.

Rotaviruses (RV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) are pathogens responsible for more than 2 million hospitalizations, especially in developing countries, due to transmission through the fecal-oral route. Currently, there are several FDA-approved RV and HAV vaccines available which are based on killed or attenuated viruses. However, these vaccines often have side effects and low efficacy in eliciting specific immunity. Therefore, the design of a vaccine based on a recombinant protein, composed of RV and HAV antigens seems essential.

We used bioinformatics tools to design and analyze the properties, predict the structure and evaluate the function, immunogenicity, antigenicity, and truncated sequences of HAV VP1 and RV VP8 as a dual vaccine platform. The predicted epitopes were expressed as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli BL21 where half of the VP1 protein was fused with the Rota protein VP8 using  pET24a expression vector,.

The expressed protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Subsequently, high-scale expression, purification, refolding and determination of the protein concentration (~2.4 µg/µl) were obtained.

Upon completion of the future immunogenicity evaluation through injection into mice, the present fusion protein can potentially serve as a candidate for a recombinant vaccine against both RV and HAV infections.

Development of an amplification method for further investigation of HBV S gene variation patterns.

Pre-S/S variants in patients with chronic HBV infection may contribute to the progression of liver damage and Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

This study wasperformed on ten patients with chronic HBV infection. Viral DNA was extracted from patient's plasma, primer design was performed, and a semi-nested PCR method was set up to amplify the pre-S/S region of HBV genome. Subsequently, sequencing was performed to analyze the variants of this region.

In the current study, the semi-nested PCR method was successfully set up, and types of variation in the studied samples were investigated.

Pre-S/S variants should be routinely determined in HBV carriers to help identify individuals who may be at a high risk of less favorable liver disease progression. This study showed that the technique could accurately amplify the pre-S/S region, and the product can be successfully used for variation detection bydirect sequencing.

Felty syndrome is a form of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that usually presents with neutropenia and splenomegaly. It usually occurs in the setting of long-lasting (RA)and rarely as an early manifestation of RA.

A 47-year-old female patient presented to the emergency department with a history of fever and arthralgia. She was found to have splenomegaly and pancytopenia. After ruling out hematologic malignancies by bone marrow biopsies, she was diagnosed with RA. Rheumatoid factor (RF) and cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (Anti-CCP) levels were elevated. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with early-onset Felty syndrome in the course of RAand an occult hepatitis B infection. Despite the low incidence rate of Felty syndrome, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis of patients with arthralgia, fever, neutropenia, and splenomegaly.

 Circulating microRNAs have the potential to serve as biomarkers in diagnostics and monitoring of disease progression, including liver diseases. Therefore, this study investigated the alteration in the expression levels of microRNA-222 (miR-222) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) as a potential diagnostic biomarker.

 MiR-222 expression was analyzed in the 86 plasma samples, including 43 patients with CHB and 43 healthy individuals as a control group. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis processes were done, and then the expression of the miR-222 was measured by qRT-PCR. The Mann-Whitney U-test Spearman analyzed the results to show the correlation between miR-222 and clinical parameters.

MiR-222 had a difference in expression levels between the patient and control groups (miRNA-222 Fold change= 1.384). Nevertheless, a statically significant difference was not observed (p value=0.269).

 Our study showed that even though changes in miR-222 expression levels in the group of patients with chronic hepatitis B compared to the healthy group, it could not be utilized as a precise diagnostic biomarker, and more studies, on a broader scale, are needed to determine the role of this microRNA in patients with CHB.

 Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV could persist in the low replicate state that is defines as occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI). Recently, OBI has been defined important in the development and/or exacerbation of HCC and other liver diseases.

 This study tried to determine the frequency of OBI among liver tumor samples.

 This cross-sectional study was performed among patients with HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) in hospitals affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences. Liver tumor samples (Fresh frozen and formalin fixed paraffin embedded) were processed for isolation of DNA and then subjected to molecular assays, including PCR examinations of HBV genes (S, X, and C), determination of viral loads, detection of HBV-cccDNA, phylogenetic analysis, and assessment of mutations in HBsAg and RT regions.

 In total, there were 93 participants, including HCC (n = 60), iCCA (n = 33); among which, 15% were detected positive for OBI. The OBI among HCC and iCCA were 18.3% and 9.1%, respectively. The mean intrahepatic viral load was 1.3 × 105 ± 1.4 × 102 copies/µl, and 5 had detectable cccDNA. The OBI subjects belonged to the HBV genotype D and subgenotype D1. In the HBsAg protein, T45N (33.3%) and P105A (25%) were the most prevalent mutations. N53K (33.3%), Y54H (25%), L80I (33.3%), and A113G (25%) were missense mutations that were observed in the RT domain.

 HBV-DNA was detected among liver tumor samples with negative HBsAg status. The results of viral load and cccDNA tests are important in identification and prognosis of liver diseases. It’s needed more precise molecular and cohort studies to clarify the functions of OBI in liver diseases.

 Cirrhosis is one of the most critical health problems with a great economic burden on the health system.

 This study evaluated cirrhosis predictors in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV).

 A total of 608 patients with HCV were included in the present study within 2011 and 2017 and divided into two groups based on the presence and absence of cirrhosis. Demographic and laboratory data (e.g., blood group, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), prothrombin time (PT), platelet count, anti-HCV antibodies, and virus level count) were collected by referring to patients’ files and compared between the two groups. Predictive factors were determined using the regression model.

 In this study, 85 patients (13.9%) had liver cirrhosis. Univariate analysis showed that hepatic enzymes AST, ALT, platelet count, PT, partial thromboplastin time, international normalized ratio, and HCV ribonucleic acid levels in cirrhosis patients were significantly higher than in non-cirrhosis patients (P < 0.05). Adjusted logistic regression analysis showed age < 45 years (adjusted odds ratio (ORAdj): 1.11, P = 0.028), male gender (ORAdj: 2.08, P = 0.023), co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (ORAdj: 2.58, P = 0.001), and alcohol consumption (ORAdj: 1.87, P = 0.001) were predictive factors for cirrhosis in patients with HCV

 This study showed that in patients with hepatitis C, age > 45 years, male gender, alcohol consumption, and co-infection with HBV significantly increased the risk of liver cirrhosis.

Entecavir (ETV) has been widely used in the clinical treatment of the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). However, whether ETV is helpful in the recovery of T cell immune function remains unclear.

We aimed to assess the effects of ETV on serum HBV-DNA, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) in patients with infection.

The clinical data of 300 HBV patients admitted from January 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, of whom 193 cases administered with ETV were assigned to an observation group, and the remaining 107 untreated cases (who refused treatment) were assigned to a blank control group. Their liver function [aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)], serum HBV markers [hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)], IFN-γ, HBV-DNA, HBV pgRNA, negative conversion rates of HBeAg and HBV-DNA, and adverse reactions were compared.

The levels of HBsAg, IFN-γ, HBV-DNA, and HBV pgRNA were lower in the observation group than in the blank control group 12, 24, and 48 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05). The HBeAg and HBV-DNA negative conversion rates of the observation group were higher than those of the blank control group 12, 24, and 48 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05).

Antiviral therapy with ETV can inhibit the replication of HBV-DNA, increase the HBV-DNA negative conversion rate, enhance immune function, and reduce the expression of HBV pgRNA in HBV patients.

Previous investigations have demonstrated that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to elevated serum bile acid levels, which is considered to cause liver damage. Thus, we suppose that bile acids may be of considerable significance in inducing immune tolerance.

In this investigation, we explored the functions of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a nuclear receptor activated by bile acids, in modulating hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) production and toll-like receptor (TLR) expression in vitro and in vivo.

The results showed that FXR activation promoted secreted and intracellular HBeAg expression in HepG2 and HEK293T cells. However, FXR antagonist Z-guggulsterone (Z-g) decreased the bile acid-mediated HBeAg production. Meanwhile, TLR2 expression significantly reduced in HepG2 cells transfected with pAAV/HBV1.2 plasmid comprising whole HBV genome and treated with bile acids, but not with mutant pAAV/HBV1.2 plasmid with defected HBeAg product. In the hydrodynamic injection HBV mouse model, the level of serum HBeAg was decreased, but intrahepatic TLR2 expression was elevated in FXR-/- mice.

In conclusion, FXR activation inhibits TLR2-mediated innate immunity by upregulating HBeAg production. Our data indicate that a mild elevation of serum bile acids may cause immune tolerance and lead to virus persistence in HBV-infected patients.