Kupffer cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic hepatitis (AH). It is believed that alcohol increases the gut permeability that results in raised levels of serum endotoxins containing lipopolysaccharides (LPS). LPS binds to LPS-binding proteins and presents it to a membrane glycoprotein called CD14, which then activates Kupffer cells via a receptor called toll-like receptor 4...

Abstrad We undertook a retrospedive study to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infedion in 81 Caucasian patients with confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Besides HBV and HCV serological markers, HCV RNA and HBV DNA were deteded in serum and liver tissue by polymerase chain readion. Overall, HCV RNA was found in 20 cases (25%), HBV DNA in 21 pa...

BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis is associated with altered hepatic artery hemodynamics. Maddrey's discriminant function (MDF) can identify patients with poor prognosis (DF >32). We studied hepatic artery hemodynamic parameters of hepatic artery diameter (HAD), resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) in severe acute alcoholic hepatitis (SAAH) and for the presence of correlation of paramet...

A group of 258 patients with various forms of alcoholic liver disease-steatosis, mild and severe hepatitis, and cirrhosis-has been studied. Severity of disease as judged histologically did not correlate very well with clinical presentation although signs of hepatocellular failure were certainly commoner in severe hepatitis and cirrhosis. Fever, pigmentation, and clubbing were also pointers to t...

Introduction: C-reactive proteins (CRP) are a very good marker of inflammation and when the inflammation subsided, CRP quickly falls followed by erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) thus it is a more sensitive and accurate reflection of the acute phase response than the ESR. As both alcoholic and infective hepatitis leads to inflammation in hepatocytes, CRP levels are increased in both conditio...

Introduction N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type III (PIIINP) is generated during the synthesis of type III collagen. PIIINP can be measured in the serum as an indicator of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Aim To evaluate the effect of liver diseases of different aetiologies and clinical severity of liver cirrhosis on the serum level of PIIINP. Material and methods Patients with alcoholi...

We undertook a retrospective study to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in 81 Caucasian patients with confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Besides HBV and HCV serological markers, HCV RNA and HBV DNA were detected in serum and liver tissue by polymerase chain reaction. Overall, HCV RNA was found in 20 cases (25%), HBV DNA in 21 patien...

BACKGROUND A 6-month abstinence from alcohol is usually required before patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis are considered for liver transplantation. Patients whose hepatitis is not responding to medical therapy have a 6-month survival rate of approximately 30%. Since most alcoholic hepatitis deaths occur within 2 months, early liver transplantation is attractive but controversial. METHO...

Using an indirect immunofluorescence technique liver membrane antibodies of IgG and IgA class have been demonstrated in a statistically significant proportion of sera from patients with alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis. IgG and IgA class antibodies were found respectively in 23 and 25% of 48 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, in 27 and 33% of 84 with active cirrhosis, and 67 and 58% ...