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Hepatitis News:
June 2006
Caring
Ambassadors Program Offering Free Hepatitis C Counseling and Screening at
Portland Waterfront Blues Festival
"OREGON CITY, OR -- June 21, 2006 -- Free, confidential hepatitis C counseling
and screening will be provided by the Caring Ambassadors Hepatitis C Program (CAP-Hepatitis C) at the upcoming Portland Waterfront Blues Festival. CAP-Hepatitis C staff and
volunteers will be available in the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Pavilion
throughout the festival hours of operation. The festival takes place from June
30th through July 4th at Tom McCall Waterfront Park."
Study Suggests Caffeine Can Help Liver
"Coffee and tea may reduce the risk of serious liver damage in people who drink
too much alcohol, are overweight or have too much iron in the blood, researchers
reported yesterday."
Hepatitis C
Vaccine Looks Promising: Disease Effects Four Million Americans
"A new vaccine could save millions of people from developing a deadly disease.
Doctors says there soon may be a way to prevent hepatitis C, early clinical
trials look extremely promising."
Study shows hepatitis C may be the cancer culprit
"A new study conducted in Taiwan suggests that the hepatitis C virus is the true
culprit behind the nation's rising rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (a common
type of liver cancer), debunking theories that the hepatitis B virus was mostly
to blame."
Coming Together to Fight
Hep C in California
"A policy meeting in Sacramento last month brought together about 100 advocates,
including representatives of the Drug Policy Alliance, to discuss California's
hepatitis C epidemic and form a statewide policy coalition."
Peregrine's hepatitis C trial shows promise
"Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported Wednesday that an early-stage clinical
trial showed the biotech drug developer's hepatitis C treatment lowered
concentrations of the virus in patients after one dose. "
Novartis, Human Genome Sciences to co-market hepatitis C drug Albuferon
"Novartis AG said it has signed an exclusive worldwide agreement with US
biopharmaceuticals company Human Genome Sciences to acquire rights to hepatitis
C drug Albuferon. The investigational drug is expected to enter Phase III
clinical trials by the end of 2006, Novartis said."
Vertex partners with J&J for hepatitis C drug
"Vertex Pharmaceuticals said Friday that it has partnered with Johnson & Johnson
for the commercialization of its hepatitis C drug candidate VX-950."
Nabi teams up with Italian firm for hepatitis C drug
"Nabi Biopharmaceuticals has secured an agreement with an Italian
biopharmaceutical company for the co-development and possible commercialization
of a treatment about to enter mid-stage testing for hepatitis C.
Under the deal, Nabi and Kedrion will pursue a strategy to develop and possibly
get the drug, called Civacir, approved by health regulators in the United States
and Europe."
Graphic
hepatitis C ads raise ethical qualms
"As the head of liver transplantation at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,
Victor J. Navarro has seen many ailing patients with hepatitis C. But they don't
look like the man in a half-page, color newspaper ad with a battered and bruised
face, his eyes glassy. 'If Hep C was attacking your face instead of your liver,
you'd do something about it,' the ad reads. 'Ready to fight back?'"
Overweight people
have poor response to hepatitis C treatment
"New research suggests that obese patients in treatment for chronic hepatitis C
infection are more likely to achieve better results if the abnormalities
associated with excessive fat tissue are corrected first."
Cookbook profits to benefit hepatitis C research: Family collection is the
backbone of expanded version
"Debbie Green decided something had to be done. A close relative of hers had
been living for years with hepatitis C, a liver disease spread by the hepatitis
C virus."
More than 700
patients of a former Gwynedd health care worker diagnosed with hepatitis C
called a special hotline for advice on its first day.
"About 5,000 patients have been sent letters with the phone number, and 400
people have now booked blood tests for hepatitis C and B and HIV. Five of the 47
special clinics set up for blood testing were fully booked."
Huge numbers of Hep B and
C cases here
"A huge increase in reported cases of Hepatitis B in Ireland over the past
decade is due to better screening programmes and an increasing number of cases
which have originated abroad and among IV drug users, according to the Health
Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). It says there is also a very high
incidence of hepatitis C in Ireland at present."
Local group to appeal for Hep C compensation in Ottawa
"The Sudbury Hepatitis C Support Group is heading to Ottawa in hopes of getting
federal Health Minister Tony Clement to promise compensation for Hepatitis C
victims who received tainted blood transfusions."
Commission: Asperilla should compose hepatitis C proposal: Outline needed before
board grants money for treatment
"Dr. Mark Asperilla pleaded to Charlotte County commissioners Tuesday for money
to help end what he and other local physicians claim is a hepatitis C epidemic
in the county"
Largest U.S.
Hepatitis C Trial Provides Insight Into Optimizing Treatment
"Researchers who participated in the WIN-R trial, the largest hepatitis C study
ever conducted in U.S. patients, reported key factors affecting treatment
outcomes in five data presentations at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) annual
meeting, and provided important insights for optimizing treatment with PEG-INTRON®
(peginterferon alfa-2b) and REBETOL® (ribavirin, USP) combination therapy for
patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a potentially deadly
liver disease."
Clinical Trials, Cohort Studies, Pilot Studies
Sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent among men with chronic hepatitis C virus
infection and negatively impacts health-related quality of life. Danoff A, et
al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun;101(6):1235-43.
Hepatitis C in 6,865 patients 65 yr or older: a severe and neglected curable
disease? Thabut D, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun;101(6):1260-7.
A study of low dose peginterferon alpha-2b with ribavirin for the initial
treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
Krawitt EL, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun;101(6):1268-73.
HCV genotype 4 in Belgium: three distinct patterns among patients from European
and African origin.
Delwaide J. et al. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006 Jul;18(7):707-712.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Previous Hepatitis C Virus Positive Nonresponders to
Interferon Monotherapy Successfully Retreated with Combination Therapy: Are They
Really Cured? Ciancio A, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun 16; [Epub ahead of
print].
Re-treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients after relapse: efficacy of
peginterferon-alpha-2a (40 kDa) and ribavirin. Berg C, et al. J Viral Hepat.
2006 Jul;13(7):435-40.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Previous Hepatitis C Virus Positive Nonresponders to
Interferon Monotherapy Successfully Retreated with Combination Therapy: Are They
Really Cured? Ciancio A, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun 16; [Epub ahead of
print]
Peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD) plus ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C patients who
failed previous interferon therapy. Sherman M, et al. Gut. 2006 Jun 27; [Epub
ahead of print]
More Advanced Hepatic Fibrosis in Hispanics with Chronic Hepatitis C Infection:
Role of Patient Demographics, Hepatic Necroinflammation, and Steatosis. Verma S,
et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun 22; [Epub ahead of print]
Risk factors for retinopathy associated with interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin
combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Okuse C, World J
Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun 21;12(23):3756-9.
Pulmonary alterations in patients with chronic HCV infection. Erturk A, Dig
Liver Dis. 2006 Jun 19; [Epub ahead of print]
[Early virologic response in retherapy with pegylated interferon alpha-2B plus
ribavirin in children with chronic hepatitis C] [Article in Polish] Pawlowska M,
Palewicz E, Halota W. Przegl Epidemiol. 2006;60(1):71-7.
Basic And Applied Science, Pre-Clinical Studies
Mutations in carboxy-terminal part of E2 including PKR/eIF2alpha phosphorylation
homology domain and interferon sensitivity determining region of nonstructural
5A of hepatitis C virus 1b: Their correlation with response to interferon
monotherapy and viral load. Ukai K, et al. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun
21;12(23):3722-8.
Regulation of the CYP1A1 Gene by 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, but not
{beta}-Naphthoflavone or 3-Methylcholanthrene, is Altered in Hepatitis C Virus
Replicon-Expressing Cells. Anderson GR, Hasan A, Yin H, Qadri I, Quattrochi LC.
Mol Pharmacol. 2006 Jun 20; [Epub ahead of print]
Behavioral and physiological effects of a single injection of rat
interferon-alpha on male Sprague-Dawley rats: A long-term evaluation. Kentner
AC, Miguelez M, James JS, Bielajew C. Brain Res. 2006 Jun 20;1095(1):96-106.
Epub 2006 May 18.
Different anti-HCV profiles of statins and their potential for combination
therapy with interferon.
Ikeda M, et al. Hepatology. 2006 Jul;44(1):117-25.
Outcome of acute hepatitis C is related to virus-specific CD4 function and
maturation of antiviral memory CD8 responses. Urbani S, et al. Hepatology. 2006
Jul;44(1):126-39.
Increased hepatic expression of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor in chronic
hepatitis C. Stefano JT, et al. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun
28;12(24):3821-8.
Cyanovirin-N inhibits hepatitis C virus entry by binding to envelope protein
glycans. Helle F, et al. J Biol Chem. 2006 Jun 29; [Epub ahead of print]
HIV/HCV Coinfection
Viral kinetics and early prediction of nonresponse to peg-IFN-alpha-2b plus
ribavirin in HCV genotypes 1/4 according to HIV serostatus. Moreno A, et al. J
Viral Hepat. 2006 Jul;13(7):466-73.
Hepatitis C Infection Is Associated with Depressive Symptoms in HIV-Infected
Adults with Alcohol Problems. Libman H, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jun 16;
[Epub ahead of print]
Hepatic steatosis is associated with fibrosis, nucleoside analogue use, and
hepatitis C virus genotype 3 infection in HIV-seropositive patients. McGovern
BH,
et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2006 Aug 1;43(3):365-72. Epub 2006 Jun 22.
National survey of HIV and hepatitis testing and vaccination services provided
by drug and alcohol agencies in Australia. Winstock AR, Anderson CM, Sheridan J.
Med J Aust. 2006 Jun 5;184(11):560-2.
Cost-effectiveness of peginterferon alfa-2a (40kDa) plus ribavirin in patients
with HIV and hepatitis C virus co-infection. Hornberger J, et al. J Clin
Virol.
2006 Jun 7; [Epub ahead of print]
Gender differences in quality of HIV care in Ryan White CARE Act-funded clinics. Hirschhorn
LR, et al. Womens Health Issues. 2006 May-Jun;16(3):104-12.
Complementary And Alternative Therapies
Effects on gene expression and viral load of a medicinal extract from Agaricus
blazei in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. Grinde B, Hetland G,
Johnson E. Int Immunopharmacol. 2006 Aug;6(8):1311-4. Epub 2006 May 11.
Oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in patients with chronic hepatitis C
patients before and after pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin therapy. Gorenek L, et al. J Transl Med. 2006 Jun 20;4(1):25
[Epub ahead of print].
Miscellaneous Works
A statistical model predicting high hepatocyte proliferation index and the risk
of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C
virus-related cirrhosis. Azzaroli F, et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Jul
1;24(1):129-36.
Case finding for hepatitis C in primary care: a cost utility analysis. Coon JT,
et al. Fam Pract. 2006 Jun 23; [Epub ahead of print]
Estimating the cost-effectiveness of detecting cases of chronic hepatitis C
infection on reception into prison.
Sutton AJ, Edmunds WJ, Gill ON. BMC Public Health. 2006 Jun 27;6(1):170 [Epub
ahead of print]
Rate of infectious complications during interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C
is not related to neutropenia. Cooper CL, Al-Bedwawi S, Lee C, Garber G. Clin
Infect Dis. 2006 Jun 15;42(12):1674-8. Epub 2006 May 10.
Organizational change in management of hepatitis C: Evaluation of a CME program.
Garrard J, et al. J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2006 Spring;26(2):145-60.
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