Hepatitis C retreatment offers hope if initial one fails

For the 40 percent to 50 percent of patients who aren't cured of hepatitis C after their initial treatment, Dr. Bruce R. Bacon of St. Louis University and his team of researchers have increased the chances of a cure upon re-treatment.

About 11 percent of the 515 people retreated in Bacon's trials were cured using the Food and Drug Administration-approved medication combination, Infergen with an antiviral pill.

Of those with milder strains of hepatitis C, about 35 percent in the trials were cured.

Hepatitis B virus genotypes and precore and core mutants in UAE patients

Knowledge of the HBV genotype with which a patient is infected is crucial information for a physician to have when planning clinical treatment for that patient. Previous studies have suggested that there are possible differences in the pathogenicity and therapeutic response of different HBV genotypes.

However, the prevalence of the various HBV genotypes and Precore and Core mutations is unknown in the UAE. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of the different HBV genotypes in the UAE population.Methodology/Principal Findings: A total of 88 HBsAg-positive patients were included in the study.A method for genotyping and subtyping HBV by partial HBsAg gene sequencing using primers that are complementary to all known genotypes was used.

Hepatitis A Vaccine Pays Off for Kids: Study

The number of children ages 12 months to 23 months immunized against hepatitis A increased in the United States, and rates of hepatitis A reached a record low after new vaccination recommendations were issued a few years ago, a new federal report says.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease than can cause mild illness lasting for a few weeks or severe illness lasting several months.