Hepatitis: García Garzón S

Bárcena Marugán R, García Garzón S. · Services of Liver-Gastroenterology, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, University of Alcalá, Ctra de Colmenar Km 9100, Madrid 28034, Spain. · World J Gastroenterol. · Pubmed #19152446 links to  free full text

Abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem that concerns 350 million people worldwide. Individuals with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are at increased risk of developing liver cirrhosis, hepatic de-compensation and hepatocellular carcinoma. To maintain undetectable viral load reduces chronic infection complications. There is no treatment that eradicates HBV infection. Current drugs are expensive, are associated with adverse events, and are of limited efficacy. Current guidelines try to standardize the clinical practice. Nevertheless, controversy remains about management of asymptomatic patients with CHB who are hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive with normal alanine aminotransferase, and what is the cut-off value of viral load to distinguish HBeAg-negative CHB patients and inactive carriers. We discuss in detail why DNA level alone is not sufficient to begin treatment of CHB.

Bárcena Marugán R, García Garzón S, López San Román A, Peña González E, Nasha R, Férnandez Muñoz R, Mateos M, García Plaza A. · Gastroenterología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid. · Med Clin (Barc). · Pubmed #11222157 No free full text.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: To study the hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission from donors HBsAg-/AntiHBc+ to liver transplant recipients. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We studied retrospectively the HBV serological markers in 43 donors from our center and also the serological condition of the 41 recipients. The HBV serological markers were analyzed by ELISA and HBV DNA was detected by hybridation assays. RESULTS: 13 donors samples showed some HBV serological markers: 6 anti-HBc and anti- HBs (13.9%), 4 anti-HBc (9%) and 3 anti- HBs (6.9%). There were no cases of hepatitis B among liver recipients from donors with negative serological markers. Among the 13 recipients with HBV serological markers, 9 were followed during 39 (SD 17) months. The 5 recipients with no HBV markers, who received an anti- HBc+ with or without anti- HBs (100%) developed hepatitis B. The two liver recipients with anti-HBs solely, did not developed infection (0%). Of the 41 recipients, 15 had some HBV markers before transplant and two of them received an anti-HBc+ and did not develop the infection (0%). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the prevalence of serological HBV infection in donors and recipients was of 30.2 and 31.7%, respectively. Anti-HBc with or without anti-HBs donors transmitted the HBV infection in all the cases (100%) to the susceptible recipients. The presence of anti-HBs in recipients protected these against the infection. Only the anti-HBs positive donors did not trasmit the HBV infection.