9. Liver Symposium: Viral liver disease/alcohol & transplantation issues Flashcards
Which viruses cause hepatitis?
Five main: Hepatitis A,B,C,D and E
Hepatitis viruses:
- Which ones are enteric viruses?
- Which ones are parenteral viruses?
- Which ones cause self limiting acute infections?
- Which ones cause chronic disease?
- Hepatitis A and E
- Hepatitis B, C and D
- Hepatitis A and E
- Hepatitis B, C and D
Describe clinical course of Hepatitis A virus?
Initial rise in IgM and ALT.
ALT peaks at 4 weeks after infection and returns to normal around 8 weeks.
IgM peak around 4 weeks after infection and then continues to fall.
IgG rises linearly after initial infection.
Hepatitis A:
- T/F: only occurs in epidemic form.
- How is it transmitted?
- Which age group is the infection more common in?
- T/F: Asymptomatic cases very common.
- How is it diagnosed?
- False. Occurs sporadically or in epidemic form.
- Through faecal-oral route, sexually, or through blood
- 5-14 year olds.
- True
- Acute disease diagnosed by IgM antibodies.
Which group of people are immunised against Hepatitis A virus?
- Travellers
- Patients with chronic liver disease: IDU (IV drug users) (especially with HCV or HBV)
- Haemophiliacs
- Occupational exposure: lab workers
- Men who have sex with men (MSM)
Name different types of Hepatitis B virus antigens and comment on what they indicate in respect to viral replication.
- Hepatitis surface antigen (HBsAg): Presence of virus
- Hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg): Active replication. HBeAg is a protein formed via specific self-cleavage of the pre-core/core gene product, which is secreted separately by the cell.
- Hepatitis core antigen (HBcAg): Active replication (not detected in blood). HBcAg contains incomplete double-stranded circular DNA and DNA polymerase/reverse transcriptase.
- HBV DNA: Active replication
HBV antibody:
- Which antibody indicates immunity from HBV?
- Which antibody indicates acute infection?
- Which antibody indicates chronic infection/ exposure?
- Which antibody indicates inactive virus?
- Anti-HBs indicate protection could be due to previous exposure or immunisation.
- IgM anti-HBc
- IgG anti-HBc
- Anti-HBe
Approach to HBV infection:
- Which antigen would you test for?
- What does negative result for the above antigen indicate?
- What does positive result for the above antigen indicate?
- What would you do if positive for above antigen?
- HBsAg
- No active infection so can initiate or complete vaccination series.
- Chronic or active infection.
- Look for clinical evidence of active or epidemiologic link to identified case. If there is evidence then check for IgM anti-HBc, if positive then the patient has acute infection. If there is no evidence of IgM anti-HBc is negative then the patient might have chronic infection so evaluate for ongoing monitoring and treatment.
Outline natural history of chronic hepatitis B.
Normal liver > chronic hepatitis B > either no further progression or it progresses to cirrhosis which can the lead to ESLD (end-stage liver disease) or HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) and then ESLD.
What are the treatment options for Hep B infection? Comment on advantages and disadvantages.
- Pegylated Interferon
- Oral Antiviral Drugs:
- Lamivudine: good clinical data especially in ESLD and pregnant patients. But high rate of resistance.
- Adefovir: studied in ESLD patients and Lamivudine failures. But lower potency. Resistance = moderate.
- Entecavir: High potency and genetic barrier to resistance but not in Lamivudine-resistant HBV patients
- Telbivudine: Moderate potency, cat B in pregnancy. Not active in Lamivudine-resistant HBV patients.
- Tenofovir: Moderate potency, cat B in pregnancy, low resistance, studied in HIV-coinfected. But renal toxicity.
Hepatitis C virus:
- T/F: always causes acute liver failure
- T/F: Causes chronic HCV infection
- T/F: most symptomatic before developing cirrhosis
- T/F: May have normal LFTs.
- T/F: It is a single-stranded RNA virus.
- False. Rarely causes acute liver failure
- True
- False. Most asymptomatic until cirrhotic
- True
- True
Outline natural history of Hepatitis C virus.
Exposure (acute phase) > resolved or chronic (majority). Chronic > majority are stable, in 20% cases = cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis > slowly progressive (majority) or leads to HCC.
HIV and alcohol increases chances of progression to HCC/death.
Hepatitis C virus:
- How is it diagnosed?
- How is it treated?
- Check for HCV antibody in the serum using ELISA.
- Many drugs available. Treatment changed from interferon-based regimes to all-oral combination regimes using directly acting antiviral agents.
Hepatitis D virus/Delta:
- T/F: HDV is a small RNA virus enveloped by HBsAg.
- T/F HDV codes for it’s own protein coat.
- T/F: May present with co-infection or super-infection with HBV.
- T/F: Very resistant to treatment.
- How is it transmitted?
- True.
- False. Does not code for its own protein coat.
- True.
- True.
- Transmission similar to HBV. Vertical transmission from mother to child. Horizontal transmission occurs via minor abrasions or close contact with other children. Also transmitted via blood or sexually.
Hepatitis E virus:
- T/F: Commonest cause of acute hepatitis in Grampian.
- T/F: Self-limiting, no long-term sequelae
- Are there any effective treatments or vaccines?
- T/F: causes fulminant hepatic failure in pregnant women.
- True
- True
- No effective vaccine. No specific treatment available.
- True. Fulminant hepatic failure = development of severe liver injury with impaired synthetic capacity and encephalopathy in patients with previous normal liver.