Hope-For-HepB Top10 August 2010
Chang TT, Liaw YF, Wu SS, Schiff E, Han KH, Lai CL, Safadi R, Lee SS, Halota W, Goodman Z, Chi YC, Zhang H, Hindes R, Iloeje U, Beebe S, Kreter B.
Hepatology. 2010 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print]
Rating & Commentary
** Long-term follow-up of entecavir phase III studies with 57 patients with biopsies after 3-7 years. At the time of biopsy all had HBV DNA levels <300 copies/mL. Ishak fibrosis score were improved in 88% including all 10 patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis.
Characteristics of chronic hepatitis B patients who underwent liver biopsies.
Chotiyaputta W, Degertekin B, McKenna BJ, Samala N, Fontana RJ, Lok AS.
J Viral Hepat. 2010 Aug 17. [Epub ahead of print]
Rating & Commentary
** 10-Year cohort study of 743 chronic hepatitis B patients with normal ALT, of which 193 (26%) had undergone a biopsy. Biopsied patients were more likely to be HBeAg positive, had lower platelet and higher alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, ALT and HBV DNA. Significant liver disease was observed in 20% with normal ALT at presentation and in none with persistently normal ALT.
Yuen MF, Lee CK, Wong DK, Fung J, Hung I, Hsu A, But DY, Cheung TK, Chan P, Yuen JC, Fung FK, Seto WK, Lin CK, Lai CL.
Gut. 2010 Jul 30. [Epub ahead of print]
Rating & Commentary
** Blood donor study which demonstrates that the prevalence of occult hepatitis B (OHB) is low, even in a highly-endemic area (~ 0,1%). OHB blood donors had very low HBV replication (<15 IU/ml), normal liver biochemistry and histology, implying a limited impact on transfusion services and infected person's prognosis.
Hepatitis B screening, prophylaxis and re-activation in the era of rituximab-based chemotherapy.
Méndez-Navarro J, Corey KE, Zheng H, Barlow LL, Jang JY, Lin W, Zhao H, Shao RX, McAfee SL, Chung RT.
Liver Int. 2010 Aug 25. [Epub ahead of print]
Rating & Commentary
** Retrospective cohort study, which demonstrates that, in contrast to recommendations, hepatitis B serologies are infrequently assessed before rituximab-based chemotherapy and that antiviral prophylaxis is uncommon.
Leung WW, Ho SC, Chan HL, Wong V, Yeo W, Mok TS.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010 Aug 6. [Epub ahead of print]
Rating & Commentary
** To confirm a report on a protective effect of coffee on risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, a case control study was performed in 234 chronic hepatitis B virus carriers (109 HCC cases and 125 controls). Using univariate and multivariate analysis, moderate coffee consumption reduced the risk of HCC by almost half (OR 0.54) with a significant dose response effect.
Rijckborst V, Hansen BE, Cakaloglu Y, Ferenci P, Tabak F, Akdogan M, Simon K, Akarca US, Flisiak R, Verhey E, Van Vuuren AJ, Boucher CA, ter Borg MJ, Janssen HL.
Hepatology. 2010 Aug;52(2):454-61.
Rating & Commentary
* Subanalysis of a peginterferon study in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B which found a 100% negative predictive stopping rule at week 12 based on low or absent declines in serum HBV DNA and HBsAg levels from the baseline.
Zhang H, Zhai Y, Hu Z, Wu C, Qian J, Jia W, Ma F, Huang W, Yu L, Yue W, Wang Z, Li P, Zhang Y, Liang R, Wei Z, Cui Y, Xie W, Cai M, Yu X, Yuan Y, Xia X, Zhang X, Yang H, Qiu W, Yang J, Gong F, Chen M, Shen H, Lin D, Zeng YX, He F, Zhou G.
Nat Genet. 2010 Sep;42:755-8.
Rating & Commentary
* A genome-wide association study with genotyping of 440.794 SNPs in 715 chronic HBV patients (355 with and 360 without HCC). A specific locus (intronic SNP in KIF1B on chromosome 1p36.22) was identified with linkage to development of HCC, and may provide new insights in the pathogenesis of this malignancy.
Brunetto MR, Oliveri F, Colombatto P, Moriconi F, Ciccorossi P, Coco B, Romagnoli V, Cherubini B, Moscato G, Maina AM, Cavallone D, Bonino F.
Gastroenterology. 2010 Aug;139:483-90.
Rating & Commentary
* To assess the contribution of HBsAg serum levels for classification of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B, a prospective study in 209 consecutive asymptomatic HBsAg carriers was performed. Single-point combined HBsAg and HBV DNA quantification provide an accurate identification of inactive carriers, comparable with that of long-term tight monitoring
Robotin MC, Kansil MQ, George J, Howard K, Tipper S, Levy M, Phung N, Penman AG.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2010 Jul;10:215.
Rating & Commentary
* An original study about effects on health services utilisation of a regional B-positive screening and treatment program. Such programs will need to factor in additional demands of specialist services in areas of high hepatitis B sero-prevalence.
Long-term use of entecavir in nucleoside-naïve Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.
Yokosuka O, Takaguchi K, Fujioka S, Shindo M, Chayama K, Kobashi H, Hayashi N, Sato C, Kiyosawa K, Tanikawa K, Ishikawa H, Masaki N, Seriu T, Omata M.
J Hepatol. 2010 Jun;52:791-9.
Rating & Commentary
* Prospective cohort study, in which 66 nucleos(t)ide-naïve HBV patients were treated with ETV dosed at 0.5mg daily. The 3-year cumulative probability of resistance was 1.7%.