Hepatology Highlights: Key Findings from 2004
January 2004
in “
Hepatology
”
TLDR Tenofovir is more effective than adefovir for resistant hepatitis B, Fibroscan is good for assessing liver damage, regulatory T cells may help hepatitis C persist, and other insights into liver health and disease were found.
The document from 2004 highlights several key findings in hepatology, including the superior efficacy of tenofovir over adefovir in treating 53 lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients, with a 100% undetectable HBV DNA rate at 44 weeks for tenofovir compared to 44% for adefovir. It also discusses the effectiveness of Fibroscan, a noninvasive liver fibrosis assessment tool, which showed a high chance of excluding severe fibrosis and cirrhosis in 251 patients. The role of regulatory T cells (T regs) in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was examined, suggesting that T regs suppression of HCV-specific T-cell responses contributes to viral persistence. Additionally, a study using an ELISA assay to detect caspase-generated CK-18 fragments in serum indicated that elevated levels were associated with more severe fibrosis in HCV-infected patients. The persistence of HCV RNA in patients with a sustained virological response was noted, with residual virus found in various tissues. Other findings included a low nosocomial HCV transmission rate in a Barcelona liver unit, the protective effect of estrogen against fibrosis progression in women, the potential need for HBV vaccination booster doses after 15 years, and the predictive value of early appearance of HCV-specific CD4 and IFN-y-secreting CD8 cells for mild recurrent graft hepatitis post-liver transplant.
