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A Tsubota

Publications and source records attributed to A Tsubota.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Fluctuation patterns of HCV-RNA serum level in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

The serum level of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA is clinically important as a predictor of the response to interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. If serum HCV-RNA levels fluctuate during follow-up, and IFN therapy is begun at the time of a low HCV-RNA level, the IFN therapy may be more effective. We evaluated the fluctuation of HCV-RNA serum levels for 2 years in 212 patients with chronic hepatitis C, untreated with IFN who had HCV genotype 1b and an HCV-RNA level of 10 Meq/ml or more at first consultation. The HCV-RNA level was measured monthly for 2 years with an HCV branched DNA probe assay (b DNA probe assay). We classified HCV-RNA patterns into three types by the ratio of maximum HCV-RNA level (a) to minimum HCV-RNA level (b). In pattern 1 (constant type, 151 patients; 71.2%) the a/ b ratio was 1-5. In pattern 2 (slight fluctuation type, 46 patients; 21.7%) the a/b ratio was 5-10. In pattern 3 (severe fluctuation type, 15 patients; 7.1%), the a/b ratio was 10 or more. Next, we evaluated the factors associated with the three patterns. Acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis was regarded as an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level to more than 250 IU/l. The incidence of acute exacerbation for a 2-year follow-up was 13.9% (21/151) in pattern 1, 19.6% (9/46) in pattern 2, and 53.3% (8/15) in pattern 3. Multivariate analysis showed that acute exacerbation was the most important factor in the manifestation pattern 3. In conclusion, we found that: (1) about 70% of patients had a constant HCV-RNA levels for 2 years. (2) A few patients had severe fluctuation of serum HCV-RNA level after acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Hepatic vascular side effects of styrene maleic acid neocarzinostatin in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Styrene-maleic acid neocarzinostatin (SMANCS) sometimes causes hepatic vascular side effects, including arterial stricture, obstruction, and arterio-portal shunt. A total of 128 intra-arterial SMANCS injection treatments, performed for 89 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, were analyzed to determine the relationship between angiographic findings and subsequent hepatic vascular injuries. After SMANCS therapy, hepatic arterial stricture or obstruction occurred in 5 patients (5/128; 3.9%), arterio-portal shunting in 12 (12/128; 9.4%), liver shrinkage in 4 (4/128; 3.1%), and cholangitis or biloma in 2 (2/128; 1.6%). Among 23 patients whose plain abdominal X-ray films just after SMANCS injection showed Lipiodol retention in the hepatic artery, 5 patients developed arterial obstruction, 10 developed arterio-portal shunt, and 2, cholangitis or biloma. Among 26 patients with Lipiodol retention in the portal vein, 4 developed hepatic lobe atrophy with aggravation of liver function. Among 3 patients with Lipiodol retention in both the hepatic artery and the portal vein, 1 developed arterio-portal shunt. In 76 treatments without excessive Lipiodol retention, only 1 of the patients developed arterio-portal shunt. Excessive retention of Lipiodol in hepatic vascular beds just after SMANCS therapy was significantly associated with future vascular side effects (22/52 vs 1/76; P < 0.0001). Lipiodol retention in arteries just after SMANCS injection was closely associated with subsequent arterial obstruction or arterio-portal shunt, and Lipiodol retention in the portal vein was related to subsequent hepatic lobe atrophy.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Fluctuations of hepatitis C virus load are not related to amino acid substitutions in hypervariable region 1 and interferon sensitivity determining region.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) load is one of the most important predictive factors of response to interferon treatment. However, little is known about the mode and determinants of viremia. The mode of viremia was investigated in 78 patients with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection during 1-2 years follow up. Virus load, determined by a branched chain DNA amplification assay, was stable in 73 of 78 (93.6%) patients, whereas 5 (6.4%) showed marked fluctuation (from undetectable level to more than 10 Meq/ml) in viral titer. To study the mechanisms mediating fluctuations in viral titer, amino acid sequences of two regions were examined; hypervariable region (HVR) 1 and the interferon sensitivity determining region (ISDR). Multiple amino acid substitutions were observed in HVR 1 but no relationship was evident between substitutions and virus titers. In contrast, no amino acid substitutions were observed in the ISDR in any patients with stable virus titer during a follow-up period of 12-24 months (7-24 samples) or in one patient who was observed for 15 years. Interestingly, multiple amino acid substitutions in the ISDR appeared in only two of the five patients with marked titer fluctuation, when the virus decreased markedly. Alanine aminotransferase levels in these five patients correlated with viral load. The data suggest that amino acid substitutions in HVR1 and ISDR are not essential for changes in viral titer. Possible mechanisms of fluctuations of viral titer and amino acid substitutions in the ISDR accompanying marked reductions in viral load are discussed.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1999

Effect of interferon therapy on hepatocellular carcinogenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis type C: A long-term observation study of 1,643 patients using statistical bias correction with proportional hazard analysis.

The activity of interferon (IFN) is not elucidated from the viewpoint of cancer prevention in chronic hepatitis C patients en masse. The hepatocellular carcinogenesis rate was analyzed statistically in 1,643 patients with chronic hepatitis C: 1,191 patients with IFN therapy and 452 without IFN therapy. Hepatocellular carcinogenesis rates in the treated and untreated groups were 2.1% and 4.8% at the end of the 5th year, and 7.6% and 12.4% at the 10th year, respectively (P =.0036). Multivariate analysis showed that IFN slightly decreased the risk of carcinogenesis by 33%, compared with that of untreated patients (P =. 14), adjusting for the confounding effects of age, fibrotic stage, gender, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) value. Among 1,191 patients with IFN, 461 patients attained persistent loss of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, and the other 145 patients retained normal alanine transaminase (ALT) values without loss of HCV RNA. The hazard of carcinogenesis in these 606 patients with persistent normal ALT with or without HCV-RNA clearance was significantly lower than that of untreated patients (hazard ratio: 0.32; P =.012) and that of the abnormal aminotransferase group. Among patients with chronic hepatitis C, IFN significantly decreased the hepatocellular carcinogenesis rate in those patients with normal or persistent low ALT values.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Predictive value of different hepatitis C serological assays in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C with interferon alpha.

In order to predict the complete response rate of natural interferon-alpha (nIFN-alpha) treatment in patients with chronic active hepatitis C, we examined the predictive value (PV) of different hepatitis C serological assays. We performed first generation (ver.1) and second generation (ver.2) hepatitis C virus (HCV) branched DNA-probe assays (bDNA-probe), HCV core protein assay (core protein), HCV Amplicor Monitor assay (amplicor monitor), and HCV competitive polymerase chain reaction (competitive PCR) assay, using serum samples collected immediately before initiation of treatment. For each marker, we studied, in patients stratified by serological group (Gr), which predictive value (PV) of the HCV titers showed association with the therapeutic effect. In 59 Gr 1 patients, complete response to nIFN-alpha treatment was predicted from the following PVs for each marker: 0.5 Meq/ml or less (odds ratio 11.7: P = 0.0010) with ver.1, 1.0 Meq/ml or less (odds ratio 5.3; P = 0.0119) with ver.2 of the bDNA-probe, 50 pg/ml or less (odds ratio 10.3; P = 0.0062) with core protein, 200 x 10(3) copy/ml or less (odds ratio 7.8; P = 0.0031) with amplicor monitor, and 10(4) copy/ml or less (odds ratio 6.2; p = 0.8395) with competitive PCR. In 27 Gr 2 patients, the PV for each marker indicating complete response was as follows: There was no relationship between PV and therapeutic effect with ver.1 of the bDNA-probe, while the PVs for the other markers were 0.2 Meq/ml or less (odds ratio 2.2; P = 0.3788) with ver.2, 20 pg/ml or less (odds ratio 5.6; P = 0.0597) with core protein, 400 x 10(3) copy/ml or less (odds ratio 4.0; P = 0.2965) with amplicor monitor, and 10(5.5) copy/ml or less (odds ratio 29.2; P = 0.0096) with competitive PCR. Our findings showed that complete response to the treatment may be predicted using the appropriate PV for each marker.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect hepatitis C virus serological groups 1 to 6.

By conventional serological grouping methods, it is possible to determine hepatitis C virus (HCV) serological groups for genotypes 1a, and 1b, and genotypes 2a, and 2b, but not for other genotypes, i.e., 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a, and 6a. In this study, we attempted to serologically group HCV with the Murex HCV serotyping 1 to 6 assay (Murex Diagnostics, Kent, UK), using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on genotype-specific peptides from the NS4 region. The subjects of this study were 365 patients infected with HCV of genotype 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, or 3b. The sensitivity of the assay was 100% in patients with genotype 1a, 82.7% in those with 1b, 68.5% in those with 2a, 84.2% in those with 2b, 50.0% in those with 3a, and 76.5% in those with genotype 3b. The overall sensitivity was 78.4%. The specificity of the assay was 100% in the subjects with genotype 1a, 98.8% in those with 1b, 98.4% in those with 2a, 96.9% in those with 2b, 100% in those with 3a, and 100% in those with genotype 3b. The overall specificity was 98.6%. The concordance of the assay was 100% in subjects with genotype la, 81.7% in those with 1b, 67.4% in those with 2a, 81.6% in those with 2b, 50.0% in those with 3a, and 76.5% in those with genotype 3b. The overall concordance was 77.5%. We believe it would be better to serotype with the Murex HCV serotyping 1 to 6 assay, if other than serological group (Gr) 1 or Gr 2 is suspected in particular ethnic groups or in subjects with an indeterminate result with the Immucheck HCV Gr assay (Kokusai, Kobe, Japan), assuming that the genotype must be other than 1a, 1b, 2a, or 2b.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay↗
PubMed1999

Clinical and virological features of chronic hepatitis C carriers with normal alanine aminotransferase levels despite positive serum HCV-RNA after interferon therapy.

Interferon (IFN) is the only drug that induces viral clearance, but in patients with chronic hepatitis C, HCV-RNA clearance is achieved in only 20%-40% of patients treated with IFN for 6 months. The remaining patients have positive serum HCV-RNA, but about 5%-15% of the patients with positive serum HCV-RNA after IFN therapy showed normal alanine animotransferase (ALT) levels (incomplete response; ICR). In these patients, IFN therapy is thought to be related to the suppression of necroinflammatory reaction in the liver. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic, clinical, histological, and virological characteristics of patients with an ICR. In this study, ICR was defined as normalization of serum ALT, but positive HCV-RNA by reverse-transcription (RT) nested PCR at two points, 3 and 6 months after cessation of IFN therapy. By multiple logistic regression analysis, the risk ratio for ICR appearance in patients treated with IFN for more than 12 months was 3.06 compared with patients treated with IFN for less than 12 months. In patients with ICR after IFN therapy, serum ALT was often reelevated during the follow-up period. The incidence of ALT re-elevation was about 10% per year in the patients treated with IFN for less than 12 months, while the incidence of ALT reelevation in the patients treated with IFN for 12 months and more was significantly lower (P = 0.0176) by the log rank test.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Histological changes in liver biopsies after one year of lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the histological changes in liver biopsies induced by 52 weeks of lamivudine therapy in patients with e-antigen positive and e-antigen negative chronic hepatitis B infection. METHODS: Twenty patients were enrolled into this open-label study. All patients had a liver biopsy within the 4 weeks before starting lamivudine therapy. Lamivudine was given orally at a dose of 100 mg OD for 52 weeks. A second liver biopsy was taken for comparison at the end of week 52. Blinded biopsies were evaluated by a histopathologist and scored according to Knodell's histology activity index (HAI). RESULTS: Ninety-five percent (19/20) patients had a reduction of their hepatic necroinflammatory HAI score (components 1 through 3) by > or =2 points at the end of 52 weeks of lamivudine therapy compared to their pretreatment values. Not only were improvements in necroinflammatory activity observed, but 7/20 (35%) of patients had improvement in fibrosis. This histologic improvement was independent of the presence or absence of e-antigen. CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvements in liver histology can be obtained in the majority of patients when they are treated with lamivudine for 1 year.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Chronic liver disease in the extremely elderly of 80 years or more: clinical characteristics, prognosis and patient survival analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of patients with chronic liver disease aged 80 years or more, especially the factors affecting prognosis and carcinogenesis. METHODS: A total of 135 patients aged 80 years or above were divided into chronic liver disease without cirrhosis (non-LC) and cirrhosis (LC) groups according to the severity of fibrosis, and the clinical characteristics and prognoses were evaluated. RESULTS: Seventy-three (54.1%) of 135 patients were in the LC group and 79 patients (58.5%) had hepatitis C virus. Various concomitant diseases were seen in 122 patients (90.4%). Liver-related deaths occurred in only 19 (36.5%) of 52 patients who died during observation, although 28 patients (53.8%) had liver cancer at the time of death. Cumulative survival rates in the non-LC and the LC groups were 85.7% and 58.8% at the 5th year, and 69.4% and 19.4% at the 9th year, respectively. Cumulative liver cancer appearance rates in the non-LC and the LC groups were 1.6% and 6.1% at the 1st year, 12.4% and 19.9% at the 5th year, and 12.4% and 32.0% at the 7th year, respectively. A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the presence of liver cancer (p=0.0001), platelet count (p=0.0242), and fibrotic stage (p=0.0118) were independently associated with survival period, and alfa-fetoprotein (p=0.0194) and bilirubin (p=0.0282) were independently associated with carcinogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhosis is the major risk factor affecting the prognosis. On the other hand, we must pay more attention to concomitant diseases specific to advanced age.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Prevalence of TT virus before and after blood transfusion in patients with chronic liver disease treated surgically for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To examine the prevalence of TT virus (TTV) before and after blood transfusion, we retrospectively examined serum samples obtained from 55 patients who received blood transfusions before, during and after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: TT virus DNA was extracted from serum samples and detected by nested polymerase chain reaction. Before transfusion, seven (12.7%) were positive for TTV. Patients were transfused whole blood or separated blood components (fresh frozen plasma, platelet and/or red blood cells), the total amount of transfused fresh frozen plasma ranging from 12 to 271 (median 38) units. RESULTS: Seven (14.6%) of the 48 TTV-negative patients became positive for TTV-DNA 1 month after transfusion. Only one of the seven patients, who was already positive for HCV-RNA, exhibited elevation of alanine aminotransferase. Five of the newly infected seven patients become negative for TTV during a 2 year follow up. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the proportion of patients with TTV was relatively high in this sample, and that the prevalence of TTV transmission by blood components was also relatively high (14.6%). Although TTV persisted for more than 6 months in some patients, infection was not noticeable during the course of chronic liver disease.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1999

Combined ursodeoxycholic acid and glycyrrhizin therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection: a randomized controlled trial in 170 patients.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To assess the efficacy and safety of combination therapy using ursodeoxycholic acid with glycyrrhizin for chronic hepatitis C virus infection, we conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial of glycyrrhizin (group G) compared with glycyrrhizin plus ursodeoxycholic acid (group G+U) in 170 patients. METHODS: All patients had elevated serum aminotransferase levels over 6 months before entry into the trial. Glycyrrhizin was administered to both groups for 24 weeks, and in group G+U, ursodeoxycholic acid (600 mg/day) was administered orally as well. RESULTS: Serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase concentrations significantly decreased during treatment in both groups, but serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase concentrations fell significantly only in group G+U. Concentrations of all three enzymes fell significantly more in group G+U than in group G, and had normalized in more cases when the trial ended at 24 weeks. However, levels of HCV viraemia did not change during the trial in either group. Multiple regression analysis linked only the treatment regimen, not HCV-related factors or liver histology, to the degree of serum enzyme reduction. No adverse effects were noted in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The combined therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid and glycyrrhizin is safe and effective in improving liver-specific enzyme abnormalities, and may be an alternative to interferon in chronic hepatitis C virus infection, especially for interferon-resistant or unstable patients.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1999

Susceptibility of TT virus to interferon therapy.

TT virus (TTV) is a newly identified single-stranded DNA virus. We retrospectively analysed serum samples from sixteen patients, infected with both hepatitis C virus (HCV) and TTV, and who had been treated with interferon. An elevated serum alanine aminotransferase level after interferon was associated with persistence of HCV (abnormal in five of seven patients with persistence of HCV compared with normal in all nine patients who showed eradication of HCV) irrespective of persistence of TTV. Comparison of partial viral DNA nucleotide sequences and phylogenetic analysis showed that viral strains that had a high identity to the prototype virus were more resistant to interferon than those showing low nucleotide sequence identity. Although we observed no liver cell injury caused by persistent TTV infection, the mechanism(s) of TTV resistance to interferon should be further investigated for a better understanding of viral diseases and establishment of therapy.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1999

Time course of histological changes in patients with a sustained biochemical and virological response to corticosteroid withdrawal therapy for chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: Although biochemical and virological responses to corticosteroid withdrawal therapy for chronic hepatitis B have been extensively studied, long term changes in liver histology have not been well documented. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 45 paired liver biopsy specimens taken before and after treatment from 40 patients who persistently showed biochemical remission and an absence of HBe antigen (RIA) for up to 20 yr. RESULTS: The grading scores for necroinflammatory and fibrotic activity in the liver specimens decreased significantly after corticosteroid withdrawal therapy. Histological scores graded according to Knodell's components improved significantly in every category after corticosteroid withdrawal therapy. However, inflammatory cell infiltrates remained within the liver for long periods. The disappearance rate of necroinflammation in the periportal, lobular, and portal regions of the liver were 25%, 7.4%, and 7.4%, respectively, at yr 5 after therapy, and were 84.4%, 78.2%, and 58.7%, respectively, at yr 10 after therapy. The cumulative disappearance rate, calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, was significantly lower for portal inflammation than for periportal necroinflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that: 1) despite clinical remission of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, long periods are needed for histological resolution of necroinflammation in the liver; and 2) by a Cox proportional hazard analysis of the factors contributing to histopathological disappearance of disease-related inflammation, the degree of fibrosis of liver biopsy specimens from pretherapy patients was the most statistically significant factor (p = 0.049).

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Efficacy and changes of the nonstructural 5A GENE by prolonged interferon therapy for patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b and a high level of serum HCV-RNA.

OBJECT: The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy and the changes of amino acid sequences of the interferon sensitivity-determining region (ISDR) by prolonged interferon (IFN) treatment in patients who have serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-genotype 1b and a high level of serum HCV-RNA. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis, positive HCV-RNA, and an abnormal serum aminotransferase level. Twenty-five patients received 6 MU of natural IFN-alpha daily for 8 weeks, followed by three times weekly for 40 weeks (1,056 MU). One patient was withdrawn from the study due to IFN side effects. Therefore, the remaining 24 patients (group 1) were studied the efficacy of IFN administration and changes of ISDR. As a control, 22 patients (group 2) treated with natural IFN-alpha for 24 weeks for the same period were studied retrospectively. Patients were defined as complete responders (CR) if serum HCV-RNA levels were negative for 6 months after IFN therapy. RESULTS: According to this criterion, CR was 25% (6/24) in group 1 and 9.1% (2/22) in group 2. The normalization rates of alanine aminotransferease (ALT) for six months after termination of IFN was 41% (10/24) in group 1 and 18.2% (4/22) in group 2. Regarding the changes of ISDR in patients with no CR, the change rates of ISDR were 16.7% (3/18) in group 1 and 10% (2/20) in group 2. CONCLUSION: We concluded that prolonged IFN therapy was effective for patients with HCV-genotype 1b and a high level of serum HCV-RNA.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[The efficacy and prognosis of transcatheter chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma in the elderly].

Four hundred and twenty-one patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who firstly underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization were divided into three groups as "younger" (32-69yr-old, n = 340), "elderly" (70-79yr-old, n = 74) and "super-elderly" (80-89yr-old, n = 7). Between "younger" and "elderly," clinical stage of underlying liver disease, stage of hepatocellular carcinoma and tumor necrosis rate at first treatment did not differ significantly. In these two groups, the first year survival rates were 83.2, 79.7%, the third year survival rates were 47.2, 36.5% and the fifth year survival rates were 22.9, 14.5% respectively. Cumulative survival rate of the "elderly" was similar to the "younger". Factors significantly affecting the survival period included advanced clinical stage of underlying liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, poor tumor necrosis at the first treatment and high serum alpha-fetoprotein level in the "younger" and high alpha-fetoprotein, advanced stage of hepatocellular carcinoma and presence of other than liver disease in "elderly". Transarterial chemoembolization is useful for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the "elderly" with the attention for their underlying diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

[Clinical manifestations and histopathologic features of chronic liver disease with serum TT virus (TTV) DNA positive alone as measured by first generation primer sets].

To determine the clinical manifestations and histopathologic features of serum TTV DNA-positive chronic liver disease, we investigated eleven patients who showed serum TTV DNA alone, as detected by the polymerase chain reaction using first generation primer sets (RD primer series). Clinical manifestations were as follows: (1) biochemical abnormalities of the ALT-dominant and gamma-GTP-dominant types; (2) persistently elevated gamma-GTP despite normalization of ALT in gamma-GTP-dominant type patients; (3) association of TTV with pathogenesis of fatty liver or alcoholic liver dysfunction; and (4) response to liver-protective medicines. Histopathologic features were as follows: (1) inflammation-related cell infiltration scattered within the portal area, with distinguishable necroinflammation in the lobular region; (2) pathologic findings on biliary epithelium; (3) high incidence of steato-metamorphosis involvement; and (4) histologic characteristics undistinguishable from "viral" chronic hepatitis in some liver specimens.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Interferon decreases hepatocellular carcinogenesis in patients with cirrhosis caused by the hepatitis B virus: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate the influence of long term interferon administration on the rate of occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis, the authors analyzed 313 consecutive patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: Of the 313 patients, 94 underwent long term intermittent administration of interferon for > or = 6 months, and the remaining 219 patients received no interferon or other antiviral drug. RESULTS: Cumulative occurrence rates of HCC in the group treated with interferon and the untreated group were 4.5% and 13.3%, respectively, at the end of 3 years; 7.0% and 19.6%, respectively at the end of 5 years; and 17.0% and 30.8%, respectively, at the end of 10 years. The rate of HCC development in the treated group was significantly lower than that of the untreated group (P = 0.0124). The Cox proportional hazard model revealed that interferon treatment was an independent contributing factor in lowering the rate of carcinogenesis (odds ratio = 0.39; P = 0.031) even after correction by significant covariates in multivariate analysis. The virologic study showed that the role of interferon therapy from the viewpoint of cancer prevention was much more significant in patients with a HBV DNA concentration of > or = 10 milliequivalents. CONCLUSIONS: Interferon therapy for patients with HBV-related cirrhosis significantly decreased the HCC rate, especially in patients with a larger amount of serum HBV DNA. If interferon is administered properly for a selected group of patients, an effective strategy of cancer prevention can be achieved, even in patients with cirrhosis.

Adult↗