BACKGROUND Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by the detection of HBV DNA in serum and/or in liver in the absence of detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The reported prevalence of occult hepatitis B varies markedly among populations and according to the sensitivity of the HBV DNA assay. The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence of occult hepa...

The effect of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) ingestion on occult gastrointestinal blood loss has been studied in patients with treated Addisonian pernicious anaemia and proved achlorhydria and in control patients able to secrete hydrochloric acid. A highly significant increase in gastrointestinal blood loss (1.9 ml./day of treatment) occurred with aspirin ingestion in the achlorhydric patients....

Lithospermum erythrorhizon has long been used as a traditional oriental medicine. In this study, the acute and 28-day subacute oral dose toxicity studies of hexane extracts of the roots of L. erythrorhizon (LEH) were performed in Sprague-Dawley rats. In the acute toxicity study, LEH was administered once orally to 5 male and 5 female rats at dose levels of 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/kg. Mortality...

BACKGROUND Fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy are used to screen patients for colorectal cancer. OBJECTIVE To compare the cost-effectiveness of fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. DESIGN The cost-effectiveness of the three screening strategies was compared by using computer models of a Markov process. In the model, a hypothet...

results of 45 patients, 4 (8.9% [95% ci: 4.4-15.6]) had detectable genomic hcv-rna in their pbmc specimens. hcv genotypes were determined in the pbmcs of these subjects showed that 2 (50.0%) subjects with occult hcv infection had hcv subtype 3a, and 2 (50.0%) had hcv subtype 1b. conclusions this study found that 8.9 % of the iranian candidates for liver transplant with cryptogenic cirrhosis had...

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and a good candidate for screening programmes. However, there is controversy concerning which of the available screening tests should be used. SUMMARY There is general agreement that screening for CRC in the asymptomatic population should begin at the age of 50. Several different screening methods are available whi...

OBJECTIVE Early detection and early treatment are of vital importance to the successful treatment of various cancers. The development of a novel screening method that is as economical and non-invasive as the faecal occult blood test (FOBT) for early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) is needed. A study was undertaken using canine scent detection to determine whether odour material can become ...

Occult hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) is characterized by HBV DNA positivity but HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) negativity. Occult HBV infection is associated with a risk of HBV transmission through blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and liver transplantation. Furthermore, occult HBV infection contributes to the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We recently reported the chara...

conclusions hepatitis b core antibody immunoglobulin m positivity is different in healthy blood donors of different countries according to the prevalence of chronic hepatitis b and its vaccination. based on the current study findings, all positive samples of hepatitis b core antibody in iranian blood banks should be considered as candidates for occult hepatitis b not just the window period infe...