Friday, November 19, 2010

Hepatitis C News: What is IL28B Gene?

Dec 15th
Hey, I have a question about this IL28B gene and hepatitis c treatment.....
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We start @ HIV and Hepatitis with important data on the "IL28B gene, which predict spontaneous hepatitis C virus clearance and response to interferon-based therapy"
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The term CC genotype used to describe the variation of IL28B is not same as the term used for different strains of HCV (called genotypes) – numbered 1 through 6.
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Just in case you missed it, since July 12, LapCorp has offered the"IL28B) Test" which may be used before initiating peginterferon and ribavirin therapy . Depending on future data , another important aspect for using this test is for people who have mild fibrosis; "they may decide to defer therapy because they have a low likelihood of developing significant fibrosis over the next several years".

Knowledge of a patient's IL28B gene is likely to aid in clinical decision making with standard of care regimens. **See Adstract

Do IL28B Gene Variations Affect Liver Disease Progression in People with Hepatitis C?
SUMMARY: Variations in the IL28B gene, which have been shown to predict spontaneous hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and response to interferon-based therapy, may also play a role in liver disease progression, according to a set of studies presented at the recent American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases "Liver Meeting" (AASLD 2010) in Boston. Some investigators found that the unfavorable rs12979860 T/T gene pattern was associated with worse liver fibrosis, but others did not observed this link

IL28B Gene Patterns and Liver Transplant Outcomes in Hepatitis C Patients
SUMMARY: Variations in the IL28B gene, which are associated with spontaneous hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and response to interferon, also appear to influence the speed of HCV recurrence, treatment response, and complications after liver transplantation, according to 2 studies presented at the recent American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases "Liver Meeting" (AASLD 2010) in Boston. Transplant outcomes were linked not only to the IL28B pattern of the recipient, but also variations in the new donor liver.


At NATAP today Telaprevir Resistance Disappears in 89% of Patients: Long-Term Follow-up of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Treated with Telaprevir in Combination with Peginterferon Alfa-2a and Ribavirin: Interim Analysis from the EXTEND Study

Yesterday on the blog we touched on Skin findings In Hepatitis C today at huffingtonpost is this article Mouth Health: What Is Oral Lichen Planus? authored by Thomas P. Connelly, D.D.S.

Related Article: Rash Hepatitis C /Lichen planus

Police close in on hep C doctor
Detectives have interviewed and released a Melbourne doctor believed to have infected at least 41 women with hepatitis C.
Detectives interviewed James Latham Peters, 61, of Hawthorn, on Friday morning and have since released him.
The man police were speaking to had been 'released, pending summons', a police spokeswoman told AAP.
The man had not been arrested, police said.
He is expected to be charged by investigators from Taskforce Clays - the unit set up to investigate the allegations - who are still preparing a brief of evidence, but the spokeswoman said police did not know when that would happen.
Investigators carried out morning raids on four Melbourne properties, including Dr Peters' suburban home and the Marie Stopes International Maroondah, formerly the Croydon Day Surgery, last month.
The state's chief health officer, Dr John Carnie, said last month that the number of women given an anaesthetic by Dr Peters who had the same strain of the potentially fatal disease he is infected with had risen to at least 41.

This bud's for you? Medical marijuana discussions heat up in Michigan
Holland, MI —
Both law enforcement and medical marijuana proponents can agree on one thing: Michigan’s medical marijuana law is confusing ... and broad ... and likely to change.“It is being interpreted differently from one county to the next, from one prosecutor to the next,” said Lt. Cam Henke, section commander of the West Michigan Enforcement Team, a drug task force for Ottawa, Allegan and Muskegon counties.What constitutes a “closed and locked facility?” Usable portion of a plant? For that matter, what counts as a plant?

Pfizer signs pact for hepatitis C study
Pfizer Inc. and Exalenz Bioscience Ltd. have signed an agreement that will pay the Israeli diagnostic device maker $800,000 for helping study a mid-stage experimental drug for treating hepatitis C.
The trial is expected to start in December and last nine months. Exalenz will provide its BreathID devices to 10 medical centers in Asia to test liver function of trial participants.
According to Exalenz's website, the BreathID System can assess "a range of liver and gastrointestinal disorders via molecular analysis of the patient's exhaled breath."
According to Pfizer's pipeline report, its only hepatitis C drug in Phase 2 trials is filibuvir.

At EureAlert an important finding on E coli: Compared with participants who were not ill or only mildly ill during the outbreak, participants who experienced acute gastroenteritis were 1.3 times more likely to develop hypertension, 3.4 times more likely to develop renal impairment, and 2.1 times more likely to have a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke

Public Release: 19-Nov-2010 British Medical JournalE coli infection linked to long-term health problemsPeople who contract gastroenteritis from drinking water contaminated with E coli are at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, kidney problems and heart disease in later life according to a long term study by researchers at the University of Western Ontario and Lawson Health Research

Laparoscopic Liver Resection May Beat Open SurgeryLong-term survival is at least comparable, and rate of complications is lower. "Laparoscopic liver resection for malignant tumors appears to result in fewer complications than open surgery and is associated with at least comparable long-term survival, according to research published in the November issue of the Archives of Surgery"

A little off topic
Low Vitamin D Levels May Be Detrimental in Leukemia . Researchers see faster disease progression, more death with vitamin D deficiency.

Pomegranate Juice: Beyond Antioxidants, Potential Benefits for Dialysis Patients
Studies in recent years have claimed multiple health benefits of pomegranate juice, including that it is a good source of antioxidants and lowers both cholesterol and blood pressure, especially in diabetic and hypertensive patients. A preliminary study now suggests that it can ward off a number of complications in kidney disease patients on dialysis, including the high morbidity rate due to infections and cardiovascular events, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Denver, CO.

Update Your Family Folks : CINJ experts to comment on importance of blood donation 19. November 2010 Every two seconds, there is someone in the United States in need of blood. According to the American Red Cross, 65 percent of the American population is eligible to donate blood, but only five percent actually do. In New Jersey only two and a half percent of eligible donors will donate, while nine out of ten New Jersey residents will need blood at least once in their lives.
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