• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.261-266
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• 2018

To determine the clinical utility of an immunoblot test and RT-PCR-hybridization test, 160 samples from patients with a chronic HCV infection were analyzed by two tests. A total of 133 samples out of 150 positive samples were positive by RT-PCR-hybridization. The true positive rate of the immunoblot tests and the concordance rate of the two tests was 88.6% and 89.3%, respectively. Serotyping and genotyping were performed to evaluate the distribution of the HCV subtype in Korean isolates. HCV serotypes 1 and 2, and genotypes 1b and 2a were the most common sources of HCV infections in this group. In 49 cases studied with the serotypes and genotypes, serotypes 1 and 2 were 57.1% and 42.9%, respectively. Genotypes 1b, 1b/2b, 2a, 2a/2c, and 2b were 51.0%, 2.0%, 34.7%, 8.2%, and 4.1%, respectively. This study shows that immunoblot tests are more useful for screening HCV infections. The RT-PCR-hybridization test confirmed the HCV infection in patients with positive immunoblot test results. The serotype test is preferred over the genotype test for monitoring the progression or response to treatment. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the response to an ${\alpha}$-interferon treatment of HCV infection with serotype type 1 or type 2 in Korea.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.87-91
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• 2005

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)는 전 세계적으로 약 3억 5천만 명이 만성적으로 보균하고 있으며, 한국에서도 보건의학적으로 가장 중요하여 높은 간암의 발병율과도 밀접한 관련이 있다. 최근에 와서 HBV가 유도하는 임상적 위험질환의 병태생리에 대해서 면역학적 지식의 발전을 바탕으로 이해가 깊어졌는데, 바이러스 자체보다는 인체의 다양한 면역반응이 질병의 경과에 더욱 중요하다. 이러한 사실로 한의학적 치료법의 과학적 연구는 만성 HBV 보균자들에게 효과적인 치료방법으로 적용될 것으로 기대될 수 있는데, 우선 여기서는 전형적으로 HBV와 관련해서 의학적 문제를 모두 가지고 있는 한 가족을 통해서 HBV에 대한 폭넓은 이해에 도움을 얻고자한다.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.155-167
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• 1997

The identification of serum HBV DNA is very important for the assessment of the disease activity in persistent infection, for the evaluation of the infectivity of an individuals blood. The dot blot, however, has limited sensitivity and sometimes inconsistent with other serological markers and clinical settings. Using the most important recent advance in molecular biology, the polymerase chain reaction(PCR), specific DNA sequences can be amplified more than a million-fold in a few hours and with this technique the detection of the extreme low level of DNA is possible. This study was to determine sensitivity of the PCR for the detection of serum HBV DNA in comparison with dot blot analysis and to investigate the serum HBV DNA status and clinical significance of PCR in patients with chronic HBsAg positive liver disease. The subjects of this study were 17 patients with asymptomatic HBsAg carriers(9 HBeAg positive patients, 8 anti-HBe positive patients), 91 chronic hepatitis B(50 HBeAg positive patients, 41 anti-HBe positive patients), 57 liver cirrhosis(21 HBeAg positive patients, 36 anti-HBe positive patients), 27 hepatocellular carcinoma(10 HBeAg positive patients, 17 anti-HBe positive patients). The results were summerized as following; The detection rates of HBV DNA by dot blot, PCR were 58.9%, 72.2% in HBeAg positive patients, 34.3%, 53.9% in anti-HBe positive patients. The detection rates of HBV DNA by PCR in HBeAg negative patients were 25.0% in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, 61.0% in chronic hepatitis B, 52.8% in liver cirrhosis, 52.9% in hepatocellular carcinoma. The positive rate for HBV DNA is a significant difference between HBeAg positive and negative asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, but not significantly difference in other groups. In conclusions, this study confirmed that the PCR is much more sensitive than the dot blot analysis in detecting the HBV DNA in the sera of patients with chronic liver disease. The presence of HBV DNA in the serum was detected by PCR with higher sensitivity and it suggested that active viral replication is still going on in most patients with chronic HBsAg positive liver disease irrespective of HBeAg/anti-HBe status, and PCR may be used as a prognostic factor in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2007

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate LDQOL (Liver Disease Quality of Life) and its related factors of patients with Hepatitis B. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study. The LDQOL was formally translated to Korean and reliability was examined. One hundred thirty eight patients following gastroenterology outpatient clinic of S. hospital in Seoul, Korea participated. Results: The mean age of the patients was 45.43 years and 87.7% were men. The mean score of LDQOL was 77.34, and mean scores of subscale were followed; symptom of liver disease (SxLD) (82.12), effect of liver disease (ELD) (25.50), concentration (Conc) (84.47), memory (Mem) (83.24), health discomfort, (HD) (75.18), sexual function (SFun) (75.71), sexual problem (SProb) (84.70), Loneliness (85.50), Hopeless (67.43), and stigma of liver disease (SLD) (91.64). Women had a lower LDQOL score for Loneliness (p=.034), and over 45 year-old patients had a lower LDQOL overall score (p=.000). Patients who were HBV carriers, or who had Chronic Hepatitis B or Liver Cirrhosis reported lower QOL respectively(p=.032). Conclusion: Although the liver disease itself seemed to be stable, patients with HBV experienced poor QOL in ELD, SProb, SFun, and Hopeless. Therefore nursing interventions in these aspects are needed.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2007

Hepatitis B is a serious public health problem leading to chronic infection and liver cancer. Quantitation of circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) is important for monitoring disease progression and for assessing the response to antiviral therapy. In this study, by using Real-Time PCR and novel Micro-PCR assay method, we measured HBV concentration in the clinical sample. A total of 120 serum samples from patients with HBV infection collected was in Dankook university hospital to compare the detection limit, sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of the two assay methods. These findings of this study suggest that Micro-PCR and Real-Time PCR assay methods are comparable to each other in there detection limit, sensitivity, and reproducibility for HBV DNA quantitation. However, Micro-PCR assay is more efficient than Real-Time PCR method, because Real-Time PCR is not so time - consuming, technically easy and need to reagent of a small quantity. It will be useful for rapid and reliable clinical diagnosis of HBV in many countries.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1057-1065
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• 2023

Non-invasive liver fibrosis diagnosis is crucial for patients with chronic liver diseases. Many patients cannot undergo liver tissue biopsy, so predicting the degree of liver fibrosis early through meaningful methods can reduce complications related to chronic liver diseases, such as liver cell carcinoma and cirrhosis. This study compared and analyzed the quantitative measurement of liver fibrosis using shear wave elastography in conjunction with liver ultrasound findings and their associations with serum biomarkers (p<0.05). The results showed that the shear wave elastography measurement in the normal group was 4.55 ± 0.69 kPa, while the abnormal contrast group with echogenic patterns had a measurement of 8.27 ± 1.83 kPa. The hepatitis B carrier group exhibited higher shear wave elastography measurements, and among serum biomarkers, AST, ALT, GGT, and PT showed statistically significant positive correlations with fibrosis severity according to SWE categories (p<0.05), while ALP and TB did not demonstrate statistically significant differences (p=0.163, p=0.567). Conversely, Albumin and PLT showed significant negative correlations (p<0.05). Clinically, utilizing shear wave elastography measurements through liver ultrasound in the tracking and repeat testing of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients without cirrhosis can assist in achieving more objective diagnoses among healthcare providers.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.337-339
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• 2000

Indigestion is one of the most frequent symptom in chronic hepatitis. We treated a 20 year-old female patient of chronic active hepatitis type B with Sengangeonbi-tang. The patient complained indigestion and constipation. The serum aminotransferase were higher and viral marker showed hepatitis was in active phase. 1 week later, the symptom had been changed from severe to mild and aminotransferase decreased. We continued to prescribe the medicine 2 weeks more and could observe that the symptom disappeared and the aminotransferase fell down under normal value with no side effect. Sengangeonbi-tang showed desirable effect on indigestion and more rapid recovery of aminotransferase than previous reports about treating hepatitis.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

Comprehensive understanding of the natural course of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is mandatory for the management and treatment of chronic hepatitis B, of which the natural course consists of immune tolerance, immune clearance, inactive carrier state, and reactivation phase. Evidence based medical approach is essential for the management of HBV carriers and treatment of active hepatitis to decrease risks of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma as well as to increase survival. In addition, education of patients or their parents are required to achieve a better therapeutic outcome and to prevent unconfirmed alternative medicine and anecdotal approaches.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.823-834
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• 2007

Interferon (IFN) alpha has been the first line therapy of chronic hepatitis B in children, but HBeAg seroconversion occurred in 26% of treated children compared to 11% of controls in multinational randomized controlled study. Recently, lamivudine was shown to be a potent inhibitor of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reproduction both in HBeAg positive and in HBeAg negative (the pre-core mutant form) chronic hepatitis in randomized studies worldwide. Lamivudine therapy led to considerable improvement in the seroconversion rate of HBeAg in children with chronic hepatitis B, though long-term therapy resulted in the expansion of lamivudine-resistant mutant viruses. Combination therapy with lamivudine plus alpha-IFN does not seem to improve HBe Ag seroconversion. Above all, the most effective way to prevent hepatitis B is universal HBV vaccination.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2002

Purpose: Chronic hepatic disease is caused by inappropriate management of the hepatitis B virus. In Korea. there is an increasing number of chronic hepatic patients. who are at risk of dying from liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore it is important to manage the hepatitis B virus appropriately. Method: The patients diagnosed with chronic hepatic disease or HBV carrier who registered at a community health center or hospital were assessed regarding health man agement status and educational needs. The data was collected from 179 persons by convenient sampling between May, 2000 and April. 2001. The data were was analyzed for general characteristics using the descriptive method, factors influencing educational needs and health management using t-test and ANOVA. Results: 1. The average health management score was 18.2 from 12 to 24 range. Those who unknown were unaware of the presence of HBsAg, attending the educational program and keeping undergoing treatment at the community health center or hospital were had a higher management score(p< .05). 2. The educational needs regarding nutritional management(64.8%) was the highest topic with chronic hepatitis patients. The second highest topic was spreading prevention among family members (52.0%), and keeping medication (45.8%), the degree of physical activities(44.1%), and spreading prevention in public(39.1%). Those who were unaware of the presence of HBsAg (p< .001), less than 12 months after HBsAg (+)(p< .05), keeping treatment (p< .05) were higher educational needs. 3. The use of alternative therapy was 27.9% of subjects. The subjects thought it was helpful for disease management(42.1%), mostly, family members and relatives recommended to use (57.9%), and medical regimen was ignored during the alternative therapy. Conclusion: Based on the results, an educational program about prevention of type B hepatitis and management for patients having type B hepatitis should be developed.