Biomedical subjects

G Norkrans

Publications and source records attributed to G Norkrans.

153 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

PubMed1976

The long-term outcome of hepatitis B.

Among 466 hospitalized patients with serologically verified acute hepatitis B, 440 individuals (94.4%) could be followed up until normalization of liver function had occured, or for at least one year. In 90.2% of the patients followed-up liver function including galactose tolerance) returned to normal within four months after onset of illness. Chronic persistent hepatitis B surface antigen (HB Ag) for at least one year in 14 patients (50%). Liver biopsy was performed in consistent with CPH in all cases. Histological signs of chronic aggressive hepatitis developed in 15 patients (3.4%) and persistence of HB Ag was observed in 11 of these patients (73%). No histological follow-up was performed in patients with normal liver function within four months after onset of illness. Cprticosteroid treatment in 56 patients with prolonged symptoms did not seem to predispose to persistence of HbsaG in the serum.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis in drug addicts--a follow-up study.

Forty-seven drug addicts with histologically verified chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis were followed up for at least 12 months (mean 58 +/- 34.5 months). The patients were young, mean age 25 years and predominantly of the male sex. Forty patients (85%) had chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) in the first biopsy and seven (15%) had chronic active hepatitis with or without cirrhosis (CAH/C). Except for bilirubin levels, standard biochemical tests at the time of the biopsy did not differ significantly between the two histologic groups. Ten patients had repeated biopsies performed and in four of them a histologic progression was observed. Six patients with CAH had evidence of cirrhosis. No patient developed hepatic failure or died because of the liver disease. Two patients seemed to resolve biochemically during follow-up. The rather benign liver morphology contrasts with chronic NANBH after blood transfusion where chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis are much more common. Age-dependent immunologic factors might to some extent explain these differences.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebrospinal fluid neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin levels in neurologically asymptomatic HIV-infected patients before and after initiation of zidovudine treatment.

The effect of zidovudine on beta 2-microglobulin and neopterin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was studied in ten HIV-seropositive neurologically healthy individuals. CSF concentrations of neopterin decreased by 53% (from 20.3 to 9.5 nmol/l, p < 0.01) and beta 2-microglobulin by 36% (from 2.8 to 1.8 mg/l, p < 0.01) four to eight months after initiation of therapy.

Biopterins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

HCV genotypes in Swedish blood donors as correlated to epidemiology, liver disease and hepatitis C virus antibody profile.

Sixty-two anti-HCV and HCV-RNA positive Swedish blood donors (44 men, 18 women; median age 34 years) were studied. HCV genotypes were correlated to parenteral risk factors, liver morphology, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) levels and HCV antibody profile. Forty percent of the donors were infected with HCV genotype 1a, 10% with 1b, 21% with 2b, and 29% with 3a. Intravenous drug use (IVDU) was more common in donors with genotype 3a than in those with genotype 1a (p = 0.024), and prior blood transfusion more common in genotype 2b than in 3a (p = 0.012). Chronic active hepatitis with and without cirrhosis was found in 38% of donors infected with genotype 2b as compared to 8% of donors infected with 1a (p = 0.034). Forty percent of donors with genotype 1a had normal ALAT at the time of liver biopsy versus 11% with genotype 3a (p = 0.046). Antibodies to C33c and C22-3 were present in nearly all donors whereas reactivity to C100-3 and 5-1-1 was detected more often in donors with genotypes 1a and 1b as compared to donors with genotypes 2b and 3a. In conclusion, genotype 3a was correlated to IVDU or tattooing as parenteral risk factors for the acquisition of HCV infection, and genotype 2b to prior blood transfusion. Donors with genotypes 1a seemed to have less severe liver disease than those infected with genotypes 2b and 3a.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Acute hepatitis B in Western Sweden--genotypes and transmission routes.

A retrospective study of acute hepatitis B (AHB) during 1995-1996 in Göteborg, Sweden, was carried out to investigate whether the increasing number of hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers due to immigration in northwestern Europe has influenced the incidence or genotype heterogenicity. 24 cases of AHB were identified, the probable transmission route of which was intravenous drug use (IVDU) in 11 (46%), heterosexual in six (25%), homosexual in one, hemodialysis in two and unknown in four cases. In no case was the source an immigrant with chronic HBV infection. Genotype D was seen in 12 patients, seven being anti-HCV-positive IVD users, two probably infected heterosexually and three with an unknown source. Genotype A was found in six patients: three IVD users, a sexual partner of an IVD user and two dialysis patients. Genotype B was found in one patient infected during travel to Vietnam, and genotype C in one patient, probably infected sexually from a previously identified chronic carrier. In conclusion, genotype D is the main genotype and IVDU still the major risk factor for AHB in Goteborg, while transmission from immigrants appears to be of minor importance despite the fact that this group comprises over 90% of the young, highly infectious carriers.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of asymptomatic amebiasis in homosexual men. Clinical trials with metronidazole, tinidazole, and diloxanide furoate.

In a randomized trial, the authors treated 42 asymptomatic homosexual men who had Entamoeba histolytica in fecal specimens with either metronidazole or tinidazole (study 1). They treated both groups initially with 2,000 mg in a single dose, and in case of failure with 2,000 mg daily for 5 days. In cases of repeated failure, the authors prescribed a dosage of 500 mg of diloxanide furoate three times per day (TID) for 10 days. In a subsequent study (study 2) the authors treated 49 asymptomatic homosexual men who had E. histolytica in fecal specimens with 500 mg of diloxanide furoate TID for 10 days. In study 1, the parasitological cure rates (PCR) for metronidazole and tinidazole were 29%-56%. Among the men treated with diloxanide furoate, the PCR was 93%. In study 2 the PCR with diloxanide furoate was 88%, which was significantly better (P less than .05) than metronidazole/tinidazole treatment in study 1. The present studies show that diloxanide furoate is an effective treatment of amebiasis in asymptomatic patients.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Herpes simplex virus-2 may increase susceptibility of the sexual transmission of hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVES: Antibodies against herpes simplex viruses-1 and -2, cytomegalovirus, and syphilis were determined in six heterosexual couples with strong indications of having sexually transmitted hepatitis C virus infection and in 17 other heterosexual couples in which one partner was hepatitis C virus viremic (source partner), but the other had remained hepatitis C virus uninfected (exposed partner). STUDY DESIGN: Antibody testing was done with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-herpes simplex virus 2 and anti-hepatitis C virus findings were further confirmed by immunoblotting. Hepatitis C virus RNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction and genotyped with type-specific primers. RESULTS: Five of six anti-hepatitis C virus-positive exposed heterosexual partners without parenteral risk factors, compared with three of 17 anti-hepatitis C virus-negative exposed partners, had antibodies to herpes simplex virus-2. On the other hand, no statistically significant difference was found regarding the frequency of herpes simplex virus-2 seropositivity when source partners in the anti-hepatitis C virus concordant and discordant couples were compared. The presence of antibodies to herpes simplex virus-1, cytomegalovirus, and syphilis did not significantly differ between source or exposed partners in anti-hepatitis C virus concordant and discordant couples, respectively. No predominance of any one hepatitis C virus genotype or liver morphology in couples concordant compared with discordant for anti-hepatitis C virus was found. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the role of herpes simplex virus-2 in the heterosexual transmission of hepatitis C virus infections, and more specifically an increase in susceptibility to hepatitis C virus infections in exposed heterosexual partners with antibodies to herpes simplex virus-2.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes of serum neopterin, beta 2-microglobulin and interferon-gamma in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon-alpha 2b.

OBJECTIVES: Treatment with interferon (IFN) reduces viral replication and normalizes aminotransferase levels in a significant percentage of patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis or hepatitis C. Soluble immune activation markers were evaluated in patients with hepatitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum concentrations of soluble immune activation markers neopterin and beta 2-microglobulin (B2M) were compared to endogenous IFN-gamma levels in 17 patients with chronic hepatitis C before, during and after 9-months of treatment with IFN-alpha 2b. RESULTS: Before therapy some patients had increased concentrations of the studied variables. During therapy neopterin and B2M concentrations further increased whereas IFN-gamma decreased. IFN-gamma and neopterin levels were correlated before but not during therapy. The correlations between neopterin and B2M were significant throughout the study. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that IFN-gamma decreases during treatment and IFN-alpha 2b appears to enhance formation of neopterin and B2M.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Contact tracing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Contact tracing--or partner notification--is a generally accepted method for the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but its use as an epidemiological tool against the spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been questioned. The authors find contact tracing for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) quite feasible; it makes it possible for health care providers to reach people at high risk for infection in order to offer them counseling and testing. Contact tracing must be performed by someone directly engaged in caring for the HIV infected patient, as well as in giving support and aiding the patient through possible crisis reactions. Through this approach the authors were able to identify 188 contacts to 91 index patients. Thirty-eight of the contacts were seropositive for HIV infection, and 21 of these were previously unaware of their infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗