Hepatitis, infectious

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Dengue, measles, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rubella, tick bite fever, epidemic typhus, Q fever, typhoid, malaria, trypanosomiasis, hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, herpes, and influenza. 

A number of virus diseases and virus related topics are described in this encyclopedia. Check alphabetical index for antiviral drugs, cancer research, cluckenpox, common cold coxsackie virus, dengue (breakbone fever), hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, influenza, measles, mumps, Norwalk virus, poliomyelitis, rabies. Rift Valley fever, vaccinia, virus diseases (plants), and yellow fever. 

Antibodies reacting with denatured DNA which occur frequently in the sera of SLE patients have also been observed in the sera of patients with diseases such as myasthenia gravis (Sturgill et al., 1964), chronic active hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis or rheumatoid arthritis (Koffler et al.,... 

Clinical trials in Bra2H in 1977 of the oral adininistration of ribavirin prompted the Bra2iUan government to approve its use for treating infectious hepatitis A (126). Because ribavirin is water-soluble, it can be dispersed readily in a fine-particle aerosol. Clinical trials (127) indicate that such aerosols... 

In addition to these microorganisms, three other types are readily destroyed Enteric vegetative bacteria (Eberthella, Shigella, Salmonella and Vibrio species) Worms such as the block flukes (Schistosoma, species) Viruses (for example, the virus of infectious hepatitis). Each of these groups of organisms differs in its reaction with chlorine. 

Viruses are small infectious agents composed of a nucleic acid genome (DNA or RNA) encased by structural proteins and in some cases a lipid envelope. They are the causative agents of a number of human infectious diseases, the most important for public health today being acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis, influenza, measles, and vituses causing diarrhoea (e.g., rotavirus). In addition, certain viruses contribute to the development of cancer. Antiviral drugs inhibit viral replication by specifically targeting viral enzymes or functions and are used to treat specific virus-associated diseases. 

A large and rapidly growing number of clinical trials (phase I and phase II) evaluating the potential of DNA vaccines to treat and prevent a variety of human diseases are currently being performed ( http // clinicaltrials.gov) however, there is yet no licensed DNA vaccine product available for use in humans. The clinical trials include the treatment of various types of cancers (e.g., melanoma, breast, renal, lymphoma, prostate, and pancreas) and also the prevention and therapy of infectious diseases (e.g., HIV/ABDS, malaria, Hepatitis B vims, Influenza vims, and Dengue vims). So far, no principally adverse effects have been reported from these trials. The main challenge for the development of DNA vaccines for use in humans is to improve the rather weak potency. DNA vaccines are already commercially available for veterinary medicine for prevention of West Nile Vims infections in horses and Infectious Hematopoetic Necrosis Vims in Salmon. 

In infectious disease compounds such as ANA975 (phase I trials) and Resiquimod (phase II trails) have been developed to target Hepatitis C and genital herpes, respectively. DRS954 is a TLR-7 and 9 antagonist in pre-clinical trials for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). 

TLR-9 has also been used to target asthma with several compounds in preclinical trials such as second generation CpG-ODNs and HYB2093. 1018 ISS has also been tested in asthma. Defence against infectious disease is also enhanced through TLR-9. CpGIOlOl was in phase II trails as a Hepatitis C target but has been discontinued. 

The infectious cycle of a (+)-strand RNA virus such as the hepatitis C virus differs by the fate of the viral RNA genome in the infected cell. Upon entry into the cell, the HCV genome is used as a messenger RNA to drive the synthesis of a large polyprotein precursor of about 3,000 residues [2]. The structural proteins are excised from the precursor by host cell signal peptidase. 

There are some descriptions of water-borne outbreaks, or even small epidemics of acute gastroenteritis (diarrhoea), cholera and hepatitis E associated with catastrophic floods that occurred in developing countries, such as Sudan [34, 35], Nicaragua [36], Mozambique [37] and West Bengal [37]. On the contrary, no changes in the base-line outbreak incidence have been reported in developed countries after major floods [37, 38]. When infrastructures and water management are adequate, outbreaks of faecal-oral water-borne infectious diseases do not follow flood events, even in the case where water flooding has compromised the security of water facilities [37]. 

McCarthy MC, He J, Hyams KC et al (1994) Acute hepatitis E infection during the 1988 floods in Khartoum, Sudan. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 88 177 Shears P (1988) The Khartoum floods and diarrhoeal diseases. Lancet 2 517 Campanella N (1999) Infectious diseases and natural disasters the effects of Hurricane Mitch over Villanueva municipal area, Nicaragua. Public Health Rev 27 311-319... 

Carroll SS, Olsen DB (2006) Nucleoside analog inhibitors of hepatitis C vims rephcation. Infect Disord Dmg Targets (Formerly Current Drag Targets - Infectious) 6 17-29 CasteU JV, lover R, Martinez-Jimenez CP, Gomez-Lechon MJ (2006) Hepatocyte cell lines their use, scope and limitations in dmg metabolism studies. Expert Opin Drag Metab Toxicol 2 183-212... 

Use of the plasma enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in monitoring the progress of infectious hepatitis. 

The term cholestatic jaundice is used to include all cases of extrahepatic obstructive jaundice. It also covers those cases of jaundice that exhibit conjugated hyperbilirubinemia due to micro-obstruction of intrahepatic biliary ductules by swollen, damaged hepatocytes (eg, as may occur in infectious hepatitis). 

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) Naked icosahedra 27 nm in diameter Responsible for infectious hepatitis spread by the oro-faecal route especially in children. Also associated with sewage contamination of food or water supplies... 

There is much concern for the safety of personnel handling articles contaminated with pathogenic viruses such as hepatitis B virus (HB V) and human immunodeficiency vims (HIV) which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Some agents have been recommended for disinfection of HBV and HIV depending on the circumstances and level of contamination these are hsted in Table 10.4. Disinfectants must be able to treat rapidly and reliably accidental spills of blood, body fluids or secretions from HIV infected patients. Such spills may contain levels of HIV as high as lO" infectious units/ml. Recent evidence Irom the Medical Devices Agency evaluation of disinfectants against HIV indicated that few chemicals could destroy the vims in a... 

Infection with one or more strains of viral hepatitis often causes acute inflammation of the liver, while chronic infection with hepatitis B or C can lead to cirrhosis. Hepatitis B and C are common in intravenous drug users and can also be transmitted through sexual contact, but many cases of hepatitis C are idiopathic.5,6 Hepatitis C is a more common cause of cirrhosis than hepatitis B in the United States while hepatitis B is more common in the rest of the world.7 See Chapter 21 on viral hepatitis for a complete discussion of infectious hepatitis. 

Immune globulin (IG) is a solution containing antibodies from sterilized pooled human plasma that provides passive immunization against various infectious diseases, including hepatitis A.5 Immune globulin is available for either intravenous (IVIG)... 

There is emerging evidence that VLDL assembly in general and MTP function in particular are intimately tied to assembly of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infectious particles [63]. MTP inhibition and ApoB downregula-tion in turn inhibit HCV assembly and maturation [64]. This may open new therapeutic opportunities for small-molecule MTP inhibitors in the... 

Rifaximin Rifamycin Antibiotic Gut bacteria Enteric infection Diarrhea, infectious Hepatic encephalopathy Small intestine bacterial overgrowth Inflammatory bowel disease Colonic diverticular disease Irritable bowel syndrome Constipation Clostridium difficile infection Helicobacter pylori infection Colorectal surgery Bowel decontamination, selective Pancreatitis, acute Bacterial peritonitis, spontaneous Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug enteropathy... 

A large number of human studies [71, 77-80] performed in patients with infectious diarrhea or other GI diseases (e.g. hepatic encephalopathy, small bowel bacterial overgrowth, IBD, colonic diverticular disease) have confirmed the antibacterial activity of rifaximin demonstrated in vitro and in laboratory animals. 

As outlined in the excellent review by Gilles and Brogden [9], the current indications for rifaximin include surgical prophylaxis and the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, infectious diarrhea and intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndromes. As such, rifaximin is aimed only at enteric flora. Owing to its lack of absorption, rifaximin will likely not be used for other conditions or indications. Such limited indications should help preserve the activity of the agent, since overuse for common conditions like urinary or respiratory tract infections will naturally not occur. Limited use should help retard the development of resistance among enteric flora. 

Rifaximin, a nonabsorbable derivative of rifamycin, has shown promising bactericidal action against both aerobes and anaerobes, such as bacterioides, lactobacilli and clostridia [33, 34], The development of resistance to this antibiotic can occur, but resistant strains rapidly disappear from the intestine thus allowing cyclic administration of rifaximin. Controlled clinical trials showed efficacy of rifaximin in adult and pediatric patients with infectious diarrhea [36,37], hepatic encephalopathy [38], post-surgical complications [39] and colonic diverticulosis [40], Only recently was the efficacy of rifaximin in the treatment of SIBO demonstrated [41-43]. 

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