Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chen-Hua Liu, Jia-Horng Kao
Summary: Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with varying incidence rates globally, is most common in individuals who have received unsafe medical procedures, used injection drugs, and lived with human immunodeficiency virus. Diagnosing acute HCV infection is challenging in immunocompromised, reinfected, and superinfected patients due to difficulties in detecting anti-HCV antibody seroconversion and HCV ribonucleic acid. Clinical trials have recently shown the treatment benefits of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Early initiation of DAAs is recommended for acute HCV infection before spontaneous viral clearance, and shorter treatment durations can be effective. Standard DAA regimens have similar efficacy in treating HCV-reinfected patients and DAA-naive ones. For specific cases, such as HCV-viremic liver and non-liver solid organ transplant recipients, different treatment durations and courses of DAAs are suggested. Prophylactic HCV vaccines are currently unavailable, so prevention measures, harm reduction, safe sex, and vigilant surveillance after viral clearance are crucial for reducing HCV transmission. (Clin Mol Hepatol 2023;29:623-642)
CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jaiprasath Sachithanandham, Ashwin Balagopal, Julia Leep-Lazar, Jeffrey Quinn, Kenneth Bowden, Kathleen Ward, Ruy M. Ribeiro, Mark S. Sulkowski
Summary: Using single-cell methods, the proportion of HCV-infected hepatocytes significantly decreased after initiating direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), proving that the second-phase viral dynamics derive from the loss of infected cells.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Qingwei Yu, Chaoqun Cen, Min Gao, Hong Yuan, Jingjing Liu
Summary: This study aimed to explore the ability of early inflammation-related factor levels to predict the occurrence of nosocomial infections after abdominal surgery. The combination of IL-6 and IL-18 levels at the 0-hour postoperative time point significantly improved the predictive ability for the development of postoperative infection. This study suggests the importance of monitoring postoperative inflammatory markers.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Alessandra Mangia, Rosa Cotugno, Giovanna Cocomazzi, Maria Maddalena Squillante, Valeria Piazzolla
Summary: The World Health Organization's goal of eliminating Hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030 using direct-acting antiviral treatments has become less attainable post the 2020 pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019. Therefore, a more realistic approach of micro-elimination in population segments where targeted strategies of prevention and treatment are easily attained has been promoted in Europe. Active involvement of stakeholders and community participation are essential components for the success of a micro-elimination project tailored at the geographical level according to HCV epidemiology and individual country's income.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Moses Ocan, Frances Acheng, Carol Otike, Judith Beinomugisha, David Katete, Celestino Obua
Summary: The study investigated the extent of protective immune response and breakthrough hepatitis B virus infections among adult vaccinated healthcare workers in northern Uganda. The majority of healthcare workers showed protective levels of hepatitis B antibodies and the protective immune response persisted for over ten years.
Article
Immunology
Tanvi Khera, Yanqin Du, Daniel Todt, Katja Deterding, Benedikt Strunz, Svenja Hardtke, Amare Aregay, Kerstin Port, Matthias Hardtke-Wolenski, Eike Steinmann, Niklas K. Bjorkstrom, Michael P. Manns, Julia Hengst, Markus Cornberg, Heiner Wedemeyer
Summary: Patients with acute hepatitis C infection showed significant alterations in soluble inflammatory mediators compared to chronic hepatitis patients and healthy controls. Early treatment with DAAs partially normalized these changes, but long-lasting imprints of HCV remained.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jordan P. Skittrall, Hamid Jalal
Summary: Diagnosing hepatitis E infection usually involves specific IgM testing, but the use of confirmatory tests is also common due to concerns about sensitivity and specificity. This study investigated whether the additional information provided by confirmatory tests justifies their use. The results showed that in immunocompetent patients, tests beyond IgM seldom add clinically useful information. However, in patients with immunocompromise, IgM and RNA could contribute valuable information.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Virology
Jian Wu, Mariza Bortolanza, Guanghua Zhai, Anquan Shang, Zongxin Ling, Bin Jiang, Xiaochen Shen, Yiwen Yao, Jiong Yu, Lanjuan Li, Hongcui Cao
Summary: The study found no significant difference in bacterial diversity between patients with acute hepatitis E and healthy controls, but Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae were more abundant in AHE patients. Functional prediction analysis revealed that ribosome, purine metabolism, and two-component system were the top three pathways affected by HEV infection. Furthermore, higher levels of interferon-gamma were associated with increased abundance of certain bacterial taxa in AHE patients, and Gammaproteobacteria abundance was positively correlated with liver enzyme levels.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Anshuman Das, Efrain E. Rivera-Serrano, Xin Yin, Christopher M. Walker, Zongdi Feng, Stanley M. Lemon
Summary: In this Review, the authors discuss quasi-enveloped virions, their entry and release from human host cells, and their impact on host immunity and pathogenesis. They focus on hepatitis A and E viruses, which were previously considered non-enveloped but are now known to be released as quasi-enveloped virions cloaked in host membranes. Despite lacking virally encoded proteins on their surface, these virions efficiently enter cells and replicate. The authors also describe the mechanisms by which specific peptide sequences in the capsids of these virions mediate their release from hepatocytes and the current understanding of their cell entry mechanism.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hope King, J. E. Soh, William W. Thompson, Jessica Rogers Brown, Karina Rapposelli, Claudia Vellozzi
Summary: The study found that the rates of self-reported HCV testing increased from 2013 to 2017, however, the testing rates remained low. Factors such as educational attainment, health insurance status, and country of birth may impact the decision to undergo HCV testing.
PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Alba Rodriguez-Garcia, Maria Linares, Maria Luz Morales, Sophie Allain-Maillet, Nicolas Mennesson, Ricardo Sanchez, Rafael Alonso, Alejandra Leivas, Alfredo Perez-Rivilla, Edith Bigot-Corbel, Sylvie Hermouet, Joaquin Martinez-Lopez
Summary: This study reports on the association between HCV infection and the progression of MGUS and MM. The results suggest a causal relationship and show that antiviral treatment can lead to better disease progression. When HCV is eliminated, clonal plasma cells can be controlled, providing new possibilities for the treatment of MGUS and myeloma.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Isabelle Desombere, Freya Van Houtte, Ali Farhoudi, Lieven Verhoye, Caroline Buysschaert, Yvonne Gijbels, Sibyl Couvent, Wilfried Swinnen, Hans Van Vlierberghe, Andre Elewaut, Andrea Magri, Zania Stamataki, Philip Meuleman, Jane A. McKeating, Geert Leroux-Roels
Summary: Hepatitis C virus can be transmitted by B cells, but B cells from recently infected patients failed to transmit the virus to mice, while all serum samples were infectious. The study also observed an association between circulating antibodies and B cell transmission of HCV.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Virology
Aleksei Suslov, Markus H. Heim, Stefan Wieland
Summary: Infectious diseases cause significant human suffering and socioeconomic burden worldwide. Understanding the interactions between human pathogens and hosts is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies. However, there is a lack of model systems that accurately replicate these interactions. The tropism of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses for the human liver poses challenges in studying their interactions during the natural progression of these infections. This review summarizes the efforts to advance our knowledge of virus-host interactions in chronic HCV and HBV infection through the analysis of surplus liver biopsy tissue donated by patients.
Article
Immunology
Siddharth Sridhar, Cyril Chik-Yan Yip, Kelvin Hon-Yin Lo, Shusheng Wu, Jianwen Situ, Nicholas Foo-Siong Chew, Kit-Hang Leung, Helen Shuk-Ying Chan, Sally Cheuk-Ying Wong, Anthony Wai-Shing Leung, Cindy Wing-Sze Tse, Kitty S. C. Fung, Owen Tak-Yin Tsang, Kam-Lun Hon, Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng, Ken Ho-Leung Ng, Kwok-Yung Yuen
Summary: This study investigated human HEV-C1 infections detected in Hong Kong, with a focus on outcomes in immunocompromised individuals. The findings showed that immunocompromised HEV-C1-infected patients frequently progress to persistent HEV-C1 infection, for which ribavirin is a suitable treatment option.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Hsiao-Sang Chu, Olivia J. Killeen, Yi-Ting Hsieh, Tung-Hung Su, H. Kaz Soong, Chung-Liang Shih, Fung-Rong Hu
Summary: This study aims to investigate the rationality of the allocation guidelines in a hepatitis B endemic area that uses corneas from hepatitis B donors. The results showed that allocating corneas from HBsAg(+) or anti-HBc(+) donors to HBsAg(+) or hepatitis B surface antibody recipients maximizes cornea usage from hepatitis B donors without compromising transplant safety.
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kimberly Page, Andrea Cox, Paula J. Lum
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2018)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rebecca Rose, Susanna L. Lamers, Guido Massaccesi, William Osburn, Stuart C. Ray, David L. Thomas, Andrea L. Cox, Oliver Laeyendecker
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2018)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Justin R. Bailey, Eleanor Barnes, Andrea L. Cox
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Candelaria Vergara, Chloe L. Thio, Eric Johnson, Alex H. Kral, Thomas R. O'Brien, James J. Goedert, Alessandra Mangia, Valeria Piazzolla, Shruti H. Mehta, Gregory D. Kirk, Arthur Y. Kim, Georg M. Lauer, Raymond T. Chung, Andrea L. Cox, Marion G. Peters, Salim I. Khakoo, Laurent Alric, Matthew E. Cramp, Sharyne M. Donfield, Brian R. Edlin, Michael P. Busch, Graeme Alexander, Hugo R. Rosen, Edward L. Murphy, Rachel Latanich, Genevieve L. Wojcik, Margaret A. Taub, Ana Valencia, David L. Thomas, Priya Duggal
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chaturaka Rodrigo, Preston Leung, Andrew R. Lloyd, Rowena A. Bull, Fabio Luciani, Jason Grebely, Gregory J. Dore, Tanya Applegate, Kimberly Page, Julie Bruneau, Andrea L. Cox, William Osburn, Arthur Y. Kim, Naglaa H. Shoukry, Georg M. Lauer, Lisa Maher, Janke Schinkel, Maria Prins, Margaret Hellard, Auda A. Eltahla
JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS
(2019)
Article
Virology
Michelle D. Colbert, Andrew Flyak, Clinton O. Ogega, Valerie J. Kinchen, Guido Massaccesi, Mayda Hernandez, Edgar Davidson, Benjamin J. Doranz, Andrea L. Cox, James E. Crowe, Justin R. Bailey
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2019)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yun-Chi Chen, Chloe L. Thio, Andrea L. Cox, Sebastian Ruhs, Farin Kamangar, Kjell J. Wiberg
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rebecca Rose, Christopher Rodriguez, James Jarad Dollar, Susanna L. Lamers, Guido Massaccesi, William Osburn, Stuart C. Ray, David L. Thomas, Andrea L. Cox, Oliver Laeyendecker
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Arunasingam Abayasingam, Preston Leung, Auda Eltahla, Rowena A. Bull, Fabio Luciani, Jason Grebely, Gregory J. Dore, Tanya Applegate, Kimberly Page, Julie Bruneau, Andrea L. Cox, Arthur Y. Kim, Janke Schinkel, Naglaa H. Shoukry, Georg M. Lauer, Lisa Maher, Margaret Hellard, Maria Prins, Andrew Lloyd, Chaturaka Rodrigo
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Valerie J. Kinchen, Guido Massaccesi, Andrew Flyak, Madeleine C. Mankowski, Michelle D. Colbert, William O. Osburn, Stuart C. Ray, Andrea L. Cox, James E. Crowe, Justin R. Bailey
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew H. Karaba, Alexis Figueroa, Guido Massaccesi, Sara Botto, Victor R. DeFilippis, Andrea L. Cox
Article
Immunology
Andrew H. Karaba, Alexis Figueroa, William A. Werbel, Maria Veronica Dioverti, Seema Mehta Steinke, Stuart C. Ray, Andrea L. Cox, Robin K. Avery
Summary: IL-18 and TNF-alpha could serve as potential non-invasive markers to distinguish solid organ transplant recipients with possible end-organ CMV disease.
TRANSPLANT INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Clinton O. Ogega, Nicole E. Skinner, Andrew I. Flyak, Kaitlyn E. Clark, Nathan L. Board, Pamela J. Bjorkman, James E. Crowe Jr, Andrea L. Cox, Stuart C. Ray, Justin R. Bailey
Summary: Antibodies targeting the HCV envelope glycoprotein E2 are associated with delayed disease progression and spontaneous clearance of infection. However, many infected individuals show suboptimal anti-E2 antibody responses. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying these responses and found that upregulation of FCRL5 on memory B cells and PD-1 on activated B cells may limit anti-E2 antibody production. Strategies to limit the upregulation of these molecules could potentially generate higher titers of protective antibodies against HCV or other pathogens.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chenxu Guo, Shang-Jul Tsai, Yiwei Ai, Maggie Li, Eduardo Anaya, Andrew Pekosz, Andrea Cox, Stephen J. Gould
Summary: The D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2 enhances Spike protein trafficking to lysosomes, reprograms lysosomes, and reduces cell surface Spike expression. This mutation is not specific to humans, but rather an adaptation to an earlier furin cleavage site insertion mutation. The D614G mutation restores Spike trafficking to lysosomes and enhances the earliest events in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity.
Article
Immunology
Aryan Esmaeili, Ali Mirzazadeh, Meghan D. Morris, Behzad Hajarizadeh, Henry S. Sacks, Lisa Maher, Jason Grebely, Arthur Y. Kim, Georg Lauer, Andrea L. Cox, Margaret Hellard, Paul Dietze, Julie Bruneau, Naglaa H. Shoukry, Gregory J. Dore, Andrew R. Lloyd, Maria Prins, Kimberly Page
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2018)