Peter Ferenci

..To date, the most significant impact of genetics has been to increase our understanding of disease aetiology and pathogenesis and to reliably identify siblings of affected patients with the risk to develop symptomatic disease...

..Whether weight-based dosing of 12 kD linear PEG-IFNalpha2b provides any benefit over a flat dose of the drug remains to be studied...

..Patients who become HCV-RNA negative after 4 weeks have the best chance of achieving an SVR. The rapidity of viral elimination may be a useful guide to tailoring the length of treatment in patients with an EVR...

..Liver transplantation is reserved for severe or treatment-resistant cases with advanced liver disease, whilst experience with refractory neuropsychiatric disease is limited...

..Beyond these well defined diseases, functional impairments of transport proteins may predispose to non-genetic diseases ranging from intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease...

..Finally, the need for a careful evaluation of the newer neuroimaging modalities for the diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy was stressed...

..3%, B: 75.9%, C: 56.3%; P >.1). These data indicate that high-dose interferon induction therapy may improve the outcome of interferon/ribavirin combination therapy in genotype 1 patients...

..To investigate the efficacy of high-dose interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) with or without ribavirin in interferon (IFN) non-responders...

..No adefovir-associated resistance mutations of viral DNA were detected. Ongoing studies investigate combination therapy with lamivudine or IFN...

..Further improvements can be expected from high-dose induction therapy and from long-acting pegylated interferons. Nonresponders may benefit from antifibrotic agents, like long-term interferon therapy, IL-10 or silymarin...

..This article reviews the various patient and viral factors that help predict response to various interferon-based therapies, ranging from interferon alone to the new pegylated interferons...

..Other strains (H. bilis, H. hepaticus, H. rappani, H. pullorum) may cause chronic hepatobiliary diseases or diarrhea. The possible role of such strains in carcinogenesis is very interesting and should be further explored...

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..Oral Silibinin (SIL) is widely used for treatment of hepatitis C, but its efficacy is unclear. Substantially higher doses can be administered intravenously (IV)...

..We associated IL28B SNPs rs12979860 and rs8099917, along with serum levels of IP-10, with outcomes of patients with acute hepatitis C (AHC)...

..In this proof-of-concept study, ivSIL was tested in on-treatment non-responders to full-dose of pegylated interferon-α2a/ribavirin (standard of care [SOC])...

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..Using a novel design, amantadine was studied in naïve genotype 1 patients treated in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)/ribavirin...

..Our aim was to investigate this approach in genotype 4 patients...

..This prospective, randomized, controlled study tested whether non-responders or relapsers to interferon monotherapy also benefit from induction therapy...

..Relapse rates are highest in patients with T/* genotype and are markedly higher in slow responders treated for 48 weeks compared with 72 weeks...

..The detectability of NS3-4--directed Th1 responses was associated with faster viremia clearance, was short-lived, and did not seem to be associated with the final treatment outcome...

..There are limited data on the efficacy and safety of antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis, particularly on the impact of portal hypertension...

..8 (95% CI 1.4-5.7, p = 0.004). In conclusion, C282Y homozygotes carrying TGF-beta1 genotypes Arg/Pro and Pro/Pro are more likely to develop cirrhosis than those with genotype Arg/Arg...

..Several treatments have been introduced but only L-ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA) shows proven efficacy. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the effect of LOLA on postural control in cirrhotics...

..On the other hand, symptoms did not worsen on continued treatment. Therefore, the decision whether to continue or to stop the treatment when signs of ototoxicity appear is based on the clinical judgment of the treating physician...

..001). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment liver iron concentration does not predict response to combination therapy in patients with CHC. In contrast, high baseline serum ferritin levels are predictors of poor response to antiviral therapy...

..CONCLUSION: The results suggest that when administered for 24 weeks with peginterferon alfa-2a, ribavirin doses of 400 and 800 mg/day produce equivalent outcomes in patients infected with HCV genotype 3...

..This study analyzes the impact of these IL28B polymorphisms on early treatment response (weeks 2 and 4) and SVR in HCV genotype 3 patients...

..EPO is not a useful option for short-term support of platelet production during antiviral therapy...

..This study assessed the impact of polymorphisms of the MPO (-463G/A) and the HO-1 promotors of Vienna (GT)n on the evolution of cirrhosis in patients with HHC...

..We investigated the roles of polymorphisms rs12979860 and rs8099917 on the early virologic response of treatment-naïve patients...

..Specific markers for differentiation of nonalcoholic (NASH) from alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) are lacking. We investigated the role of routine laboratory parameters in distinguishing NASH from ASH...

..A 5-fold increase of hepatic copper concentration is considered as the best available test for diagnosis of hepatic Wilson's disease (WD). However, the sensitivity and specificity of this test have never been fully investigated...

..This metabolic effect is fully reversible after successful HCV-3a eradication. This unique property is not shared by other HCV genotypes...

..The predictive value of interferon-gamma inducible protein 10 (IP10) on treatment outcome has been described in HCV patients. Data on combining these predictors in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients are not available...

..The aim of the study was to compare the clinical outcome of additional percutaneous ethanol instillation (PEI) against no further treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving hormonal treatment with long-acting octreotide...

..3%) patients. CONCLUSION: Treatment with standard interferon-alpha2b/ribavirin could be of benefit in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia however, a vigilant monitoring of these high risk patients is mandatory...

..Thus, the applicability of the results of controlled studies has to be tested in a "real-world" setting...

..This does not result in an alteration of global platelet function as assessed by the PFA-100, because elevated vWF-Antigen levels might compensate for the acquired defect...

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..The aim of this study was to evaluate seminal parameters and ribavirin and HCV-RNA concentrations in seminal fluid and serum prior to and during antiviral treatment...

..The clinical symptoms and age at onset of Wilson's disease (WD) are highly variable. This study investigated patients who became symptomatic at >40 years of age...

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..Prediction of sustained virological response (SVR) during treatment would allow clinicians to identify patients most likely to benefit from therapy...

..IFN therapy appears only needed in patients who fail to clear the virus within 35 days after onset of symptoms. By this approach, IFN therapy was not necessary in two thirds of patients with acute hepatitis C...

..High-dose PEG-IFN induction therapy did not enhance early or sustained virologic response rates compared with standard of care therapy...

..Patients with genetic hemochromatosis may be at risk for HCC, but limited information is available on the relationship of HCC and heterozygosity for the HFE gene mutations...

..Our data suggest that microchimerism does not play a significant role in the development of PBC...

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..We investigated whether the severity of organ failure was associated with intracranial hypertension and evaluated the correlation between NH(3) and pNH(3) and grade of hepatic encephalopathy...

..Thus, long-term prognosis in chronic hepatitis C patients with a sustained virological response to therapy with pegylated interferon +/- ribavirin is promising, but long-term studies need to continue...

..The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of these polymorphisms on insulin resistance (IR) in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C...

..Here, we review some of the complexities uncovered and controversies highlighted by the introduction of HCV protease inhibitors...

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..Differences in early viral kinetics have not been compared in these patients...

..Treatment duration may be shortened in patients with undetectable HCV-RNA after 4 weeks of therapy, on the other hand slow virologic responders may benefit from prolonged treatment...

..Efficacy and safety of antiviral combination therapy in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is presently not established and consequently CHC is rarely treated in CD patients...

..Initial treatment for symptomatic patients should include a chelating agent (penicillamine or trientine). Treatment of presymptomatic patients or maintenance therapy can also be accomplished with zinc...

..Knowledge of the differences in the worldwide distribution of particular mutations will help to design shortcuts for genetic diagnosis of WD...

..Furthermore, limitations of currently available quantitative assays will be discussed...

..Potential uses of exogenous haematopoietic growth factors and their impact on the virological response need to be explored...

..Antiviral response to PEG-IFN-alpha-2a is different to that on standard IFN. In spite of a lower initial response PEG-IFN-alpha-2a/ribavirin combination therapy may overcome predicted IFN unresponsiveness...

..001). To achieve continuous drug exposure and to improve initial viral clearance, peginterferon-alpha-2b has to be given at least two times weekly...

..Such a compensation of decreased platelet counts by increased von Willebrand factor antigen level did not occur in cirrhotics...

..Immunotherapeutic approaches hold promise to prolong survival in selected patients with advanced HCC who respond by enhanced tumor immunogenicity...

..Alternatively, haplotype analysis can be used to address diagnostic dilemmas in differentiating heterozygote gene carriers and affected asymptomatic siblings...

..Data collected by a Foundation to help the victims enabled us to study the natural history of chronic hepatitis C in this cohort...

..abstract:..

..Overall this consensus statement accounts for the major advances in the management of hepatitis B and significantly changes clinical management of patients with hepatitis B in Austria...

..Liver biopsy is the standard method for diagnosis of hepatic steatosis, but is invasive and carries some risk of morbidity...

..Peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) is widely approved for use in patients with chronic hepatitis C...

..Although several promising oral agents have been identified and are currently in clinical development, it seems likely that pegylated interferon will remain the backbone of therapy for years to come...

..Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon (IFN)-alpha often has hematotoxic effects. We evaluated the effects of acute vs. chronic and standard vs. pegylated IFN-alpha on hematopoiesis...

..While hepatic pathology of homozygous carriers of the C282Y mutation of the HFE haemochromatosis gene is well defined, the impact of the C282Y/H63D compound heterozygous carrier state is unknown...

..This study tested the hypothesis of a subclinical cognitive dysfunction in HCV-infected patients...

..This patient met all diagnostic criteria for paraneoplastic pemphigus and is, to our knowledge, the first report of a case associated with hepatocellular carcinoma...

..The interpretation of viral kinetic data becomes difficult due to overestimation upon dilution of baseline values by HCM-2.0...

..Long-term follow up of patients with SVR is mandatory and should include surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma...

..Our work implies that IL-10R1 SNP4 is a recessively inherited risk factor for hepatic cirrhosis in HCV genotype-1 infection...

..In conclusion, a six-hour treatment with sorbent suspension dialysis did not ameliorate the clinical stage of HE but improved neurophysiologic function in cirrhotic patients who had not responded to conventional medical treatment...

..Recombinant human TPO could be of value in patients developing severe thrombocytopenia under IFN- therapy...

..Recently, the serotonin antagonist ondansetron has been reported to have a positive effect on cholestasis-associated pruritus...

..These findings support the ammonia hypothesis of HE and suggest that pNH(3) might be superior to total ammonia in the pathophysiological evaluation of HE...

..Decreased TPO production in the cirrhotic liver is an important etiologic factor for thrombocytopenia in liver disease that is rapidly reversed by transplantation...

..Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection increases morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTR). Lamivudine has shown promising results in patients with chronic hepatitis B, but experience with its use in RTR is limited...

..5% (p<0.05) and 41.7+/-5.1% to 33.4+/-4.4% (p<0.01). We conclude that in two siblings with a novel LAL variant and mild phenotype of CESD, lovastatin decreased both serum lipid concentrations and hepatocellular lysosomal content...

..In patients found to be at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus type 1, monitoring of titres of these antibodies during therapy could help to assess the individual risk-benefit ratio of IFN-alpha treatment...

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..Presence of liver disease, neurologic symptoms, and Kayser-Fleischer corneal rings are the hallmarks of the disease...

..In this study the two frequent mutations of the HLA-linked hemochromatosis gene (HFE) were investigated in a rheumatology clinic population...

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..In addition, while more specific research is needed, olfactory dysfunction may serve as a subclinical indicator of hepatic encephalopathy...

..Centrilobular necrosis (CN), reminiscent of toxic or circulatory liver injury, has been reported in AIH. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of CN in patients with AIH and its correlation with laboratory and clinical data...

..Our objective was to establish the role of the functional polymorphisms of GSTP1 (codon 105 Ile-->Val) and MnSOD (codon 16 of precursor protein Ala-->Val) on the evolution of cirrhosis in patients with HHC and CHC...

..In conclusion, patients infected with HCV genotype 1 and treated with peginterferon alpha-2a/ribavirin sustained a RVR 24% of the time. This portends an 89% probability of a SVR after 24 weeks of treatment...

..The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of genetic testing for diagnosis of the disease in a large cohort (n=109) from Hungary...

..2% and sensitivity of 88.2% in diagnosing Wilson's disease (WD). We have re-evaluated this test. Ninety-eight subjects were studied at presentation...