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PubMed2003

Long-term sequelae in children treated for brain tumors: impairments, disability, and handicap.

Sixty-one long-term survivors, treated for brain tumors in childhood, were evaluated in term of neurological impairments, disability, and handicap. Thirty-eight patients (pts) (62%) had at least one impairment. Visual impairment was detected in 14 pts (24%), associated with recurrence (p = .012). Thirty-four patients (56%) had motor impairment, associated with sex (female) in irradiated patients; 13 (21%) had epilepsy, associated with supratentorial tumor site (p = .001). The same number of patients had brain atrophy; risk factors were hydrocephalus at diagnosis and perioperative complications. Sixteen patients (30%) had IQ score < 80, associated with young age at first treatment (p = .006) and recurrence (p = .043). Twenty-seven out of 61 of our patients (44%) were disabled: 12 mildly, 14 moderately, and 1 severely. Epilepsy was the most important risk factor for disability. Cognitive impairment, motor impairment, and epilepsy were associated with employment (43%); cognitive impairment was also associated with education.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The management of high risk prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: A major problem that urologists encounter is the recurrence of prostate cancer after local therapy or the failure of primary therapy. There is no consensus on the treatment of these groups of patients. The role of radiotherapy, hormonal therapy or chemotherapy must be defined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature review of the current management of recurrence after primary therapy in prostate cancer was performed using MEDLINE, a review of current urology and oncology journals, and abstracts from recent urology meetings. The data collected focused on the role of radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy in this setting. RESULTS: Defining a high risk group of patients using Gleason score, seminal vesicle or pelvic lymph node involvement and prostate specific antigen recurrence time is important for treating the problem early in disease course. Adjuvant radiotherapy cannot offer a survival advantage but it provides longer biochemical recurrence-free survival. Early administration of salvage radiotherapy in adequate doses provides a success rate similar to that of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with low prostate specific antigen. Although there is no good evidence that early androgen deprivation definitely prolongs patient survival, increased time to progression in addition to excellent palliation with early hormonal therapy was reported in the majority of trials. Early trials of the use of chemotherapy showed improved survival rates with adjuvant chemotherapy alone or with a combination of hormonal therapy, especially in patients with nonmetastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Although analysis of current literature revealed that patients who have recurrence after primary therapy would benefit from radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of therapies, additional prospective randomized studies are needed to support these findings.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗
PubMed2004

Preoperative model for predicting prostate specific antigen recurrence after radical prostatectomy using percent of biopsy tissue with cancer, biopsy Gleason grade and serum prostate specific antigen.

PURPOSE: We developed a preoperative model to risk stratify patients for prostate specific antigen (PSA) failure following radical prostatectomy (RP) and identify those at high risk who would be potential candidates for neoadjuvant clinical trials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective survey of 459 patients from the SEARCH Database treated with RP between 1990 and 2002 was done. Multivariate analysis was used to compare the preoperative variables of patient age, race, PSA, biopsy Gleason score, clinical stage and percent of prostate needle biopsy tissue with cancer for the ability to predict time to PSA recurrence following RP. Significant independent predictors were combined to create a novel risk grouping model. RESULTS: On multivariate analysis biopsy Gleason score (p < 0.001), percent of biopsy tissue with cancer (p < 0.001) and serum PSA (p = 0.001) were the only significant independent predictors of PSA failure. Combining these 3 significant predictors of PSA failure using previously published cutoff points for each variable generated a 4 tier preoperative model for predicting biochemical failure following RP (HR 1.91 for each 1 risk category increase, CI 1.62 to 2.26, p < 0.001). The model further stratified patients who were already stratified into low, intermediate and high risk groups based on a previously described model using PSA, biopsy Gleason score and clinical stage. A simplified table was developed to predict the risk of biochemical recurrence within 2 years following surgery, as stratified by percent of tissue with cancer, PSA and biopsy Gleason score. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of serum PSA, biopsy Gleason score and percent of prostate biopsy tissue with cancer define a new preoperative model for predicting PSA failure following RP. This model further stratified patients who were already stratified based on PSA, biopsy Gleason score and clinical stage, and it can be used preoperatively to identify patients at high risk who would be candidates for neoadjuvant clinical trials. Using this model an easy to use table was developed to predict preoperatively the 2-year risk of PSA recurrence following RP.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1999

Prospective randomized comparison of pneumatic dilatation technique in patients with idiopathic achalasia.

We performed a randomized prospective study of pneumatic dilatation comparing a 30-mm and 35-mm Microvasive balloon dilator inflated for either 15 or 60 sec in patients diagnosed with idiopathic achalasia who were previously untreated. Twenty-four patients, 11 men, 13 women, mean age 45, range 18-81 years), were prospectively randomized for dilatation. History and physical examination, esophageal manometry, and barium swallow were performed before dilatation. Symptom self scores were assessed before dilatation, and one month and six months after dilatation. Pneumatic dilatation was successfully completed in all 24 patients, with one patient experiencing a confined perforation. Conservative treatment was employed, and the patient recovered fully. Two patients experienced a recurrence of symptoms and required a second dilatation. Evaluation of posttreatment symptom self scores indicates no difference between the 30-mm and 35-mm Microvasive balloon or inflation durations of either 15 or 60 sec. These data indicate that the more conservative 30-mm dilator inflated for just 15 sec delivers a symptom response equal to a more aggressive approach with the larger dilator inflated over longer duration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire as a predictor of six-month outcome in first episode mania.

The authors administered the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) near hospital discharge to 27 patients with first episode mania. All patients met DSM-III-R criteria for bipolar disorder, manic type, as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. Associations of TPQ scores with operationalized outcome variables were analyzed. Outcome variables included syndromic recovery at discharge and at 6 months, syndromic recurrence, and functional recovery. Patients who failed to achieve functional recovery by 6 months had significantly higher Novelty-Seeking dimensional scores at the time of hospital discharge. This association between TPQ scores and short-term outcome suggests that elevated Novelty-Seeking scores may reflect either personality characteristics that impair functional recovery or subclinical manic symptomatology that is not reflected in other symptom measures. The TPQ may provide useful prognostic measures in patients with new onset mania.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An operative technique for recurrent shoulder dislocations in older patients.

Recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation in the elderly is not as exceptional as it was once thought to be. That anterior shoulder dislocation in older patients is caused by a rotator cuff tear through the posterior mechanism is well accepted. However, in the subset of patients who have multiple recurrent or intractable dislocations develop, there may be combined pathologic conditions at work: large or massive rotator cuff tears together with anterior capsulolabral injuries such as a Bankart lesion or fracture of the glenoid rim. These patients have multiple recurrences because of disruption of both the anterior and the posterior stability mechanisms. We suggest a procedure that provides anterior stabilization with the capsular shift technique and that is supplemented by Bankart repair as necessary. The capsule transfer is performed superiorly and posteriorly to close the defect in the cuff. In this way a capsulodesis effect can be achieved that displaces the humeral head downward and produces active centering of the head in the course of abduction. Use of only the anterior capsule for the shift, and not the subscapularis tendon, does not compromise subscapularis function. Between 1990 and 1996, we used this technique to treat 16 patients older than 55 years of age with multiple recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation and massive rotator cuff tear. We report the results for the first 10 patients with a minimum follow-up of 2 years (range 2 to 7 years) and an average follow-up of 52 months. There were 7 excellent results, 2 good results, and 1 fair result according to the Rowe criteria. None of the patients had a recurrence of the dislocation. All the patients regained full or functional range of motion with stable shoulders, and most of them could perform activities of daily living without limitation. The average Constant score was 83%. This procedure appears to be successful in treating older patients with recurrent shoulder dislocation.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Primary bipolar total hip arthroplasty.

A retrospective clinical and radiographic review of 140 primary total hip arthroplasties using a bipolar acetabular component and an uncemented AML femoral component (Depuy, Warsaw, IN) was done. The length of follow-up was from 2 to 5 years with a mean of 44.2 months. A mean postoperative Harris hip score of 84.3 points and a mean postoperative Harris pain score of 38.8 points were identified. Five hips required revision surgery, three for recurrent dislocations and two for infection. Nine percent of acetabular components were noted to have migrated within the bony pelvis by 2 mm or more. However, the presence of migration was not statistically associated with low pain or function scores. Ninety-eight percent of patients with surviving implants felt satisfied with the results of their surgery. Total hip arthroplasty using a bipolar acetabular component appears to be a successful method of hip replacement.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Appraisal of illness, symptom distress, self-care burden, and mood states in patients receiving chemotherapy for initial and recurrent cancer.

Cancer recurrence may present unique stressors for patients receiving chemotherapy. The objectives of this exploratory study were to (1) describe perceptions of symptom distress, self-care burden, appraisal of illness, and mood in patients undergoing chemotherapy, (2) identify differences in these perceptions according to stage of illness (new versus recurrent cancer), and (3) test a theoretical model of the mediating effects of appraisal. Subjects completed a modified Symptom Distress Scale, the Self-Care Burden Scale, the Family Hardiness Index, the Appraisal of Illness Scale, the short form of the Profile of Mood States, and a self-report form that included personal and illness characteristics and questions about the subjects' current situation. The 60 subjects were outpatients being treated for initial cancer (n = 28) or recurrent cancer (n = 32). Those with recurrence had higher symptom distress and health deviation self-care burden scores and more stressful appraisals; mood scores were low and did not differ between groups. Appraisal, symptom distress, and perceived seriousness predicted 36% of variance in affective mood, with appraisal partially mediating the effects of symptom distress. Somatic mood (36%) was best predicted by symptom distress and universal self-care burden (USCB). Economic status, symptom distress, and recurrence status predicted 49% of appraisal variance. Symptom distress was predicted best by recurrence and symptom control; USCB was predicted best by economic status and perceived dependency. Results suggest the need for different nursing interventions for the two groups. Further model testing is recommended.

Affect↗
PubMed2004

Prostate stem cell antigen expression is associated with gleason score, seminal vesicle invasion and capsular invasion in prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Few successful therapeutic options exist for men who present with metastatic prostate cancer (CaP) or for the 30% with recurrence. The development and characterization of molecular markers are vital to the development of prognostic and therapeutic modalities in CaP. We investigated the expression and potential clinical usefulness of prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) in CaP using tissue microarrays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis using a PSCA monoclonal antibody was performed on tissue microarrays constructed from paraffin embedded specimens from 246 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy. PSCA staining was correlated with established prognostic factors, such as Gleason score, prostate specific antigen (PSA), and seminal vesicle invasion. In addition, recurrence-free survival was analyzed. RESULTS: A high PSCA intensity of 3 was associated with adverse prognostic features, such as Gleason score 7 and above (p = 0.001), seminal vesicle invasion (p = 0.005) and capsular involvement (p = 0.033). On univariate analysis tumors with a PSCA intensity of 3 carried an increased risk of PSA recurrence (p = 0.031, HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.96). However, after adjusting for these variables a PSCA intensity of 3 was no longer an independent predictor of PSA recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: We found that high PSCA intensity is significantly associated with adverse prognostic features such as high Gleason score and extra-organ disease. The results of this study suggest that PSCA is a promising tumor marker for the selection of patients at high risk but additional studies are necessary to assess the usefulness of PSCA in patient biopsies.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

[Tolerance and efficiency of intravesical instillation of Calmette-Guérin in the prophylactic treatment of superficial bladder tumors, using a maintenance treatment].

UNLABELLED: Maintenance treatment with complementary BCG instillations in the prevention of superficial bladder tumour could improve the results of this immunotherapy. This maintenance treatment is limited by accentuation of the adverse effects related to BCG. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of maintenance treatment on tumour recurrence and progression, and to evaluate the influence of adverse effects on maintenance treatment and the recurrence rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 72 patients were treated with six weekly instillations of 81 mg of BCG (Immucyst) followed by three complementary instillations 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months later. Adverse effects (AE) were classified into four classes, according to their type, severity and duration, and were recorded prospectively for 518 instillations. An adverse effect score was determined for each patient. RESULTS: 84.9% of patients did not present any recurrence, 12.5% developed recurrence and 2.6% progressed. The instillation regimen was completed by 19% of patients, the dose had to be decreased for 57% of patients and treatment had to be discontinued for 39% of patients. An initial adverse effect score (AESi) greater than 1.5 was associated with an increased risk of discontinuation of treatment or reduction of the dosage during maintenance treatment (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Maintenance treatment was associated with a very low recurrence and progression rate. We have established and validated an adverse effect severity scale and the consequences of these adverse effects on maintenance treatment. This scale could be used to prospectively define the most appropriate maintenance instillation regimen, by preventively decreasing the doses or deferring instillation.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2006

Six-month androgen suppression plus radiation therapy compared with radiation therapy alone for men with prostate cancer and a rapidly increasing pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level.

PURPOSE: We evaluated whether treatment with 6 months of androgen-suppression therapy (AST) and radiation therapy (RT) compared with RT was associated with the time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence, prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM), and all-cause mortality (ACM) in men with a pretreatment PSA velocity more than 2 ng/mL/yr. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study cohort comprised 241 men with clinically localized or locally advanced prostate cancer treated with RT and AST or RT from 1989 to 2002. Cox regression and Gray's formulation were used to assess whether treatment was associated significantly with the time to PSA recurrence or ACM and PCSM, respectively, adjusting for known prognostic factors. RESULTS: Despite the significantly longer median follow-up, younger age at diagnosis, higher proportion of Gleason score 7 to 10, and advanced T-category cancers, significantly lower estimates of PSA recurrence (P < .001), PCSM (P = .007), and ACM (P < .001) were observed in men who were treated using RT and AST compared with RT. Treatment with RT and AST compared with RT was associated with a longer time to PSA recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.22; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.35; P < .001), PCSM (HR, 0.23, 95% CI, 0.09 to 0.64; P = .005), and ACM (HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.58; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Treatment using 6 months of AST and RT compared with RT in men with a pretreatment PSA velocity greater than 2 ng/mL/yr was associated with a longer time to PSA recurrence, PCSM, and ACM.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Contemporary identification of patients at high risk of early prostate cancer recurrence after radical retropubic prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a model that will identify a contemporary cohort of patients at high risk of early prostate cancer recurrence (greater than 50% at 36 months) after radical retropubic prostatectomy for clinically localized disease. Data from this model will provide important information for patient selection and the design of prospective randomized trials of adjuvant therapies. METHODS: Proportional hazards regression analysis was applied to two patient cohorts to develop and cross-validate a multifactorial predictive model to identify men with the highest risk of early prostate cancer recurrence. The model and validation cohorts contained 904 and 901 men, respectively, who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This model was then externally validated using a cohort of patients from the Mayo Clinic. RESULTS: A model for weighted risk of recurrence was developed: R(W)'=lymph node involvement (0/1)x1.43+surgical margin status (0/1)x1.15+modified Gleason score (0 to 4)x0.71+seminal vesicle involvement (0/1)x0.51. Men with an R(W)' greater than 2.84 (9%) demonstrated a 50% biochemical recurrence rate (prostrate-specific antigen level greater than 0.2 ng/mL) at 3 years and thus were placed in the high-risk group. Kaplan-Meier analyses of biochemical recurrence-free survival demonstrated rapid deviation of the curves based on the R(W)'. This model was cross-validated in the second group of patients and performed with similar results. Furthermore, similar trends were apparent when the model was externally validated on patients treated at the Mayo Clinic. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model that successfully stratifies patients on the basis of their risk of early prostate cancer recurrence.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Laparoscopic repair of paraesophageal hernia with selective use of mesh.

The laparoscopic approach to PEH, in use for close to a decade, shows promising results. However, data on the long-term follow-up of patients who undergo this procedure are still lacking, and the use of mesh is debatable. We retrospectively investigated 33 patients who underwent this procedure over a 30-month period. In 10 patients, the repair was performed using a mesh prosthesis. There was one (3%) intraoperative and four (12%) early postoperative complications, with one mortality (3%). The average postoperative stay was 3 days. During a 58-month follow-up period, 18% of the patients developed small, sliding recurrent hernias, with a higher rate in the primary repair group (18% vs. 10%). Surgical outcome was scored good-to-excellent on a questionnaire by 84.5% of the patients. Laparoscopic repair of PEH is feasible and safe. While small recurrences do occur, functional results remain good. The use of mesh should be tailored to the specific patient.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Limited value of perineural invasion in radical prostatectomy specimens as a predictor of biochemical recurrence in Japanese men with clinically localized prostate cancer.

The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of perineural invasion (PNI) in radical prostatectomy specimens could be a useful prognostic parameter in Japanese men with prostate cancer. Between January 1995 and September 2003, 202 Japanese men underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostate cancer without any neoadjuvant therapies prior to surgery. We retrospectively analyzed the relationship between PNI in radical prostatectomy specimens and other prognostic factors, and also assessed the significance of PNI in biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. The presence of PNI was significantly related to clinical stage, pathological stage, Gleason score, seminal vesicle invasion, lymph node metastasis and tumor volume, but not pretreatment serum prostate specific antigen value. During the observation period, biochemical recurrence occurred in 20 patients (3 in patients without PNI and 17 in those with PNI), and the biochemical recurrence-free survival rate in patients with PNI was significantly lower than that in patients without PNI. In addition to-PNI, pathological stage, seminal vesicle invasion, lymph node metastasis and tumor volume were significantly associated with the biochemical recurrence-free survival rate; however, among these five factors, only seminal vesicle invasion was an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence on multivariate analysis. Despite a significant association between several prognostic parameters, PNI was not an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence; therefore, it may not provide an additive effect to consider the presence of PNI in predicting the prognosis of Japanese men who underwent radical prostatectomy if there are other conventional parameters available.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Extensive and predominant in situ component in breast carcinoma: their influence on treatment results after breast-conserving therapy.

Intramammary tumour recurrence is one of the most important problems in breast-conserving therapy. We reviewed a series of 957 patients treated with breast-conserving therapy for primary invasive breast carcinomas between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 1992 at the University of Heidelberg. All histological slides were re-evaluated for risk factors with special emphasis on the extent and subclassification of the in situ tumour and the margin status. Six parameters were identified as significant risk factors for intramammary recurrence in the univariate analysis, including extensive or predominant in situ component (EIC, with at least twice the greatest dimension of the invasive tumour component), histological grade, angioinvasion, lobular tumour type, involved resection margin and lymph node status. The presence of an EIC was statistically correlated with low tumour grade, tumour at the resection margins and in re-excision specimens and with multifocal tumour invasion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that EIC (relative risk (RR) = 1.9), tumour grade (RR = 1.76), angioinvasion (RR = 1.34), lobular tumour type (RR = 1.65) and young age (< or = 40 years, RR = 1.39) were independent predictors of local recurrence. When combining these factors in a linear model, the simultaneous presence of at least two of the five risk factors predicted a 5-year risk of intramammary recurrence of 20.9% compared with a risk of only 1-5% when none or one of these risk factors were identifiable. We conclude that the risk of subsequent intramammary recurrence after breast-conserving therapy can be estimated from a scoring system that includes four histological risk factors and the patient's age.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed2001

Exercises and education as secondary prevention for recurrent low back pain.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Exercise and education is a common physiotherapy approach in the prevention of low back pain. A Mensendieck exercise programme consisting of exercises and ergonomical education has, in a previous study, been shown to be effective in preventing recurrent low back pain during one-year follow-up. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the long-term effect of the Mensendieck exercise programme on people with recurrent episodes of low back pain who, when entering the study, had finished treatment for their last episode of low back pain. METHOD: A randomized controlled clinical trial in which 41 women and 36 men were allocated to either a Mensendieck or control group. The Mensendieck subjects received 20 group sessions of exercises and ergonomical education over 13 weeks. The control subjects were not offered any prophylactic therapy, but were free to receive treatment or exercises. Outcome measures were the number of recurrences of low back pain, sick leave, low back function and general functional status. RESULTS: At three-year follow-up, 11 subjects had been lost to the study. Survival analysis showed a significant reduction (p = 0.02) in subjects experiencing recurrent low back pain in the Mensendieck group compared to the control group. Significant improvements in pain and function scores were reported in both groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in pain, function or sick leave. CONCLUSION: A Mensendieck exercise programme seems efficient in reducing recurrent episodes of low back pain at three-year follow-up, but it did not influence sick leave, pain or function scores.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Genome-wide linkage analyses of extended Utah pedigrees identifies loci that influence recurrent, early-onset major depression and anxiety disorders.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common, clinically heterogeneous disorder often found comorbid with other disorders. We studied recurrent, early-onset MDD (MDD-RE) and anxiety disorders in combination to define powerful phenotypes for genetic study. We used 87 large, extended Utah pedigrees to investigate linkage to 3 phenotypes: "MDD-RE;" "MDD-RE or anxiety;" and "MDD-RE and anxiety;" where in the latter definition the disorders must appear comorbid within an individual. Pedigrees ranged in size from 2 to 6 generations and contained 3 to 42 individuals affected with MDD or anxiety (718 total). In primary analyses, we identified three regions with at least suggestive genome-wide evidence for linkage on chromosomes 3centr, 7p, and 18q. Both 7p and 18q are replication findings for related phenotypes. The best linkage evidence was for a novel locus at 3p12.3-q12.3 (LOD = 3.88, "MDD-RE or anxiety") and 18q21.33-q22.2 (LOD = 3.75, "MDD-RE and anxiety"), a well-established susceptibility locus for bipolar disorder. In our secondary sex-specific analyses, we identified two further regions of interest on chromosomes 4q and 15q. Using linked pedigrees, we localized 3centr and 18q to 9.8 and 12.2 cM, respectively, with potential for further localization with the addition of markers in specific pedigrees. Our success in replication and novel locus identification illustrates the utility of large extended pedigrees for common disorders, such as MDD. Further, it supports the hypothesis that MDD and anxiety disorders have over-lapping genetic etiologies and suggests that comorbid diagnoses may be useful in defining more genetically homogeneous forms of MDD for linkage mapping.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1998

Detection of intrahepatic hepatitis C virus replication by strand-specific semi-quantitative RT-PCR: preliminary application to the liver transplantation model.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although the hepatitis C virus infection recurs in virtually all patients after liver transplantation, up to 50% of patients may not have histological recurrent hepatitis 1 year after liver transplantation. To study the relationship between hepatitis C virus infection and liver disease after liver transplantation, we compared the intrahepatic hepatitis C virus replication levels with the liver histopathology among liver transplant recipients. METHODS: The intrahepatic negative-strand HCV RNA (i.e. the putative hepatitis C virus replication intermediate RNA) was evaluated by a semi-quantitative, strand-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in 44 liver specimens from 23 patients with hepatitis C virus reinfection after liver transplantation. Results were compared with the time from liver transplantation, presence, grading and staging of the recurrent hepatitis, amount of hepatitis C virus antigens in the liver and serum HCV RNA levels. RESULTS: Negative-strand HCV RNA was detected in 42 liver specimens as early as 7 days after liver transplantation. Its titers correlated with the amount of intrahepatic hepatitis C virus antigens, but not with HCV RNA levels in serum. Levels of negative-strand HCV RNA in 19 specimens without hepatitis were comparable to those seen in 25 specimens with hepatitis (p=0.492), and were unrelated to the liver disease grading and staging scores. The intrahepatic hepatitis C virus replication could occasionally precede the recurrence of the hepatitis by several months. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular evidence has been obtained for intrahepatic hepatitis C virus replication occurring early after liver transplantation. The level of replication is not correlated with the development of recurrent hepatitis, suggesting that hepatitis C virus may replicate without inducing morphological evidence of liver damage.

Adult↗