Matt's Blog

Did state fully treat inmate's hepatitis?
Alexis McCullough, an inmate at the Wichita Work Release Center, died in
excruciating pain, screaming for an ambulance, last March.
Afterward, I started raising questions: Why did no one call an ambulance? Why
was he allowed to suffer so?
Now, there may be a bigger question: Did the Kansas Department of Corrections
contribute to his condition by failing to sufficiently treat McCullough's
chronic hepatitis C?
Lawyer Randy Price leveled that charge at a civil service board hearing last
week in Topeka. He represents William Del Gaudio, a shift supervisor appealing
his firing in connection with the death.
Price noted that an autopsy showed McCullough died from hepatitis C and
cirrhosis, which tends to develop from untreated hepatitis C.
"The bottom line is, you can knock this virus out," Price said, adding that the
inmate's medical records offer no evidence that he had been treated for
hepatitis C. "I don't find it anywhere, and they can't find it," Price said of
state officials. "And if they could find it, they would have talked about it."
Hepatitis C is a liver disease commonly treated with a combination of interferon
and ribavirin. This combination can chase the virus into remission in some
patients.
McCullough apparently was diagnosed with hepatitis C nearly 15 years ago while a
prisoner in Lansing, Price said. The level of treatment he has received since
then is unclear.
Dr. Dean Rieger, corporate medical director of the department's health care
provider, Correct Care Solutions, insists McCullough did receive treatment. He
also said that the "monitoring" of a patient's condition could constitute
treatment. He added he didn't have McCullough's file with him and couldn't
recall whether the inmate had received supportive therapy -- medications --
along with monitoring.
Frances Breyne, a Department of Corrections spokeswoman, said Friday that
McCullough was never given interferon.
Not every patient with hepatitis C is a good candidate for interferon treatment.
Rieger said hepatitis C treatment remains a complex undertaking. A patient with
an active virus but only limited liver damage is the best candidate for
treatment, he said. Doctors also would have to determine whether an inmate could
tolerate the medicines and would remain in custody long enough to complete the
full course of treatment.
"Treatment," he said, "is a broad term."
"It's not just medication treatment," Rieger said. "That also includes
monitoring someone to see how affected their liver may be."
Dr. Tom Moore of the University of Kansas School of Medicineagreed that
treatment hinged on many factors. But he questioned whether monitoring could
constitute treatment.
"That's observation, not treatment," he said.
Moore considered hepatitis C treatable but cautioned that not everyone responds
to treatment.
Bill Miskell, spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said the department
pays Correct Care Solutions $42 million annually for health care and the
University of Kansas Medical Center provides oversight.
CCS, through Miskell, sent me its extensive hepatitis C protocols that included
its policy: "Correct Care Solutions will identify, treat, and monitor all
inmates with risk factors for Hepatitis C within all Kansas Department of
Corrections Facilities."
McCullough's daughter, Danielle Morris, said she didn't know what kind of
treatment her father received, but said $42 million should get a patient more
than monitoring.
"How could they expect anyone to get better by just watching them?" she asked.
"That's stupid."
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/columnists/mark_mccormick/16777072.htm

Tallahassee Hepatitis Support Group (all liver diseases welcome!)
Monday March 5, 2007
7:00 to 9:00 PM
First Monday of every month
TMH Diabetes Clinic
1981 Capital Circle Northeast
Tallahassee Florida
Phone: 850-443-8029
You can contact Susan at Susan.cason@... or Pam at figment@...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMERICAN LIVER FOUNDATION APPLAUDS WOLFGANG PUCK AND LACDHS
FOR RAPID RESPONSE TO HEPATITIS A EXPOSURE
LOS ANGELES, February 28, 2007 - The American Liver Foundation (ALF)
commends Wolfgang Puck and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
(LACDHS) for their rapid response to a report earlier today that an employee at
the
Wolfgang Puck Catering facility in Hollywood has been diagnosed with acute
hepatitis A.
According to LACDHS, patrons who ate uncooked food provided by Wolfgang Puck
Catering at four events between February 14 and February 20 are being contacted.
It is
recommended that these patrons receive a prophylactic dose of immune globulin
(IG),
although the risk that any of these individuals contracted hepatitis A is quite
low.
"There is a 14-day window after hepatitis A exposure during which immune
globulin can
be given to prevent illness. Therefore, it is critical that all individuals at
risk be
contacted as quickly as possible," said Scott Franklin, Executive Director of
the ALF
Greater Los Angeles Chapter. There is no risk to any person who ate food
prepared by
Wolfgang Puck Catering after February 20.
The largest of the four events was the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Party
on
February 14 at the Pacific Design Center, located at 8687 Melrose Avenue West
Hollywood, California 90069. It is recommended that individuals who attended
this
party and ate uncooked food there should receive immune globulin today, or as
soon as
possible, to prevent the development of acute hepatitis A.
Some important facts about hepatitis A:
. It is one of five known viruses that cause inflammation of the liver. (The
others
are hepatitis B, C, D, and E.)
. Hepatitis A is diagnosed by a blood test.
. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that a third of the
U.S.
population becomes infected with hepatitis A during their lifetime.
Contact: Scott Franklin, Executive Director
Greater Los Angeles Chapter
310-670-4624
sfranklin@...
www.liverfoundation.org
. The symptoms of hepatitis A are usually mild and do not require medical
treatment.
. Most people recover from hepatitis A within six months without any lasting
health
problems; however, a small number of people may take longer to fully recover.
. Once you have recovered from hepatitis A, you cannot get it again.
. Although hepatitis A does not cause long-term or chronic infection, a small
percentage of people infected with the disease risk serious complications. This
includes people with other liver diseases and the elderly.
. It is estimated that hepatitis A is the primary cause of death for about 100
people
each year.
. Hepatitis A is usually transmitted through drinking water or eating food that
has
been contaminated with fecal matter containing the virus.
. As with the other hepatitis viruses, a person infected with hepatitis A may
not
have any symptoms. Common symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain
in the liver area, fever, and jaundice.
. There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Most patients are advised to
rest
for up to five weeks, avoid alcohol and any drugs not approved by their doctor,
and consume a balanced diet with plenty of fluids.
. People who have come into contact with hepatitis A can be given temporary
immunization with immune globulin within two weeks of exposure.
. Vaccination is the best way to prevent hepatitis A. The hepatitis A vaccine is
given in two doses, usually about six months apart.
. Vaccination is recommended for all children age one and older, and also for
people traveling to regions with poor sanitation or where hepatitis A is common.
For more information about liver disease and hepatitis, contact the American
Liver
Foundation's National Helpline at 1-800-GO-LIVER or visit our Web site at
www.liverfoundation.org. The Greater Los Angeles Chapter is located at 5777
Century
Blvd, Suite 865 and can be reached at 1-310-670-4624.
The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is the nation's leading nonprofit
organization
promoting liver health and disease prevention. ALF provides research, education,
and
advocacy for those affected by liver-related diseases, including hepatitis.
###

Thank you so much Pam for all your work...... the reports have been just
great... I have forwarded a few of them and always say thanks Pam...... and I
hope I haven't sent them to people in this group or another of yours... but some
of your reports just blow me away.... DD says hi..... hugs, sally
PeachStatePam <figment@...
Hepatitis Foundation International: New Study Supports Effectiveness of Liver
Wellness Education
SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new scientific study provides an
imaginative educational intervention that has demonstrated success in having a
significant impact on preventing viral hepatitis and other blood borne diseases
related to participation in unhealthy behaviors. Results of a National Institute
on Drug Abuse supported multi-site, randomized-control trial called, The Study
to Reduce Intravenous Exposures (STRIVE), tested a behavioral intervention among
a high-risk population of hepatitis C-infected injection drug users (IDUs) to
identify new approaches to prevention of hepatitis and other blood borne
pathogens. The intervention included messages about liver wellness and viewing
the Hepatitis Foundation International's (HFI) video, The Silent Stalker.
The goal of the STRIVE study was to reduce the spread of hepatitis and HIV by
providing information about the importance of the liver and how viruses can
damage this vital organ essential to one's life.
The results of the study among 630 HCV IDUs indicated a 1.85 fold reduction in
lending behaviors; and 2.1 fold reduction in the risk of injecting with used
needles. At three months, those exposed to the intervention were 3 times more
likely to have stopped injection drug use; at 6 months, they were 2 times more
likely to have stopped injecting drugs.
The researchers concluded that these findings indicate an urgent need for
HCV-related prevention interventions with IDUs and demonstrated the
effectiveness of educating individuals about their liver and taking
responsibility for their own healthcare.
"These encouraging results support efforts to provide liver wellness
information to all individuals, young and old alike, to help them avoid the
serious consequences of participating in liver damaging behaviors," said Thelma
King Thiel, CEO of HFI.
HFI's video used in the study and others promoting liver health and prevention
of substance abuse are being used in schools, colleges, STD and substance abuse
clinics, health departments, correction facilities and HIV/AIDS organizations.
They are available in several languages targeting various age groups and
ethnicities.
HFI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the eradication of viral
hepatitis, a disease affecting over 500 million people worldwide. HFI conducts
training programs promoting liver wellness as a means to motivate healthy
lifestyle behaviors.
For more information about the study, HFI's video The Silent Stalker and
Foundation for Decision Making training programs for counselors, social workers,
and educators, call HFI's Education Department at 1-800-891-0707.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&ne\
wsId=20070301005975&newsLang=en

---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

great report Pam... thanks... DD was on local TV last night, but they cut him
off before he could get to HCV..... he looked good, much better than when last
saw him.... not that they cut him off.... there was a hard break and it was like
not well planned and seemed they just ran out of time..... ya know, small
town..... LOL..... love ya, hi all..... sally
PeachStatePam <figment@...
CROI: Sexual transmission of HCV not limited to HIV-positive gay men
Edwin J. Bernard & Liz Highleyman, Thursday, March 01, 2007
Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is taking place in HIV-negative
as well as HIV-positive gay men, according to data from Brighton - the United
Kingdom's city of highest HIV prevalence - presented on Wednesday to the
Fourteenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Los
Angeles.
In recent years there have been a number of studies reporting sexual
transmission of HCV, primarily in HIV-positive gay men in western Europe. First
observed in 2002in the UK, similar outbreaks have also been reported in the
Netherlands, Switzerland and France.
Outbreaks of acute HCV infection amongst HIV-positive gay men (and other men
who have sex with men [MSM] who may not identify as gay or bisexual) have been
detected because HIV-positive people routinely undergo HCV antibody screening as
well as regular liver function tests in order to monitor antiretroviral
toxicity. However, HIV-negative gay men do not routinely receive such testing,
so evidence of a possible parallel sexually transmitted HCV epidemic in this
population has not been reported until now. Nevertheless, even the earliest
reports from the UK included a small number of HIV-negative men.
Researchers from Royal Sussex County Hospital undertook a study to explore
sexual transmission of HCV among HIV-positive and HIV-negative men attending
Brighton's main sexual health and HIV clinic between 2000 and 2006. Due to the
high local HCV infection rate in this population, all MSM attending the clinic
have been screened for HCV since 2000. Men were included in the analysis if they
had one documented negative HCV antibody test and subsequently tested HCV
antibody positive. Participants without a documented HIV antibody test results
were classified as HIV status unknown. Men who reported injection drug use were
excluded.
Out of a total of 7,169 clinic patients, 3,907 had at least one HCV antibody
test, and 25 were newly diagnosed with HCV. Amongst this group, 16 were
HIV-positive, five were HIV-negative, and four had an unknown HIV status.
HCV incidence increased from zero in 2002 to 1.4 per 1,000 patient years in
2003. Incidence increased in 2004 and 2005 to 1.6 and 1.9 per 1,000 patient
years, respectively, and then jumped to 3.6 per 1,000 patient years in 2006.
HIV-positive men were found to be about thirteen times more likely to have a
new HCV diagnosis compared with HIV-negative men. Dr Daniel Richardson,
presenting, described the difference as "dramatic," though the differences did
not attain statistical significance due to the small numbers.
HCV incidence rates in HIV-negative men and those of unknown HIV status were
similar.
In accordance with previous reports, incident HCV diagnosis was associated with
fisting, unprotected anal intercourse, multiple sex partners, and infection with
other sexually transmitted infections.
The researchers concluded there has been a significant increase in new HCV
diagnoses amongst gay men attending their clinic, and - contrary to previous
reports - these have not been seen exclusively in HIV-positive men. While
HIV-positive serostatus remained a major risk factor for HCV infection, a
substantial number of new infections occurred in HIV-negative men or those with
unknown HIV serostatus.
Importantly, all but one of the nine men who were HIV-negative or had unknown
HIV status at the time of their HCV diagnosis later went on to become infected
with HIV, suggesting that they continued to engage in risky behaviour. Dr
Richardson recommended that this high-risk group should be especially targeted
for HIV prevention efforts. He also suggested that routine HCV antibody testing
should be considered for all MSM, regardless of HIV serostatus.
Commentary and analysis
Brighton is a small city on England's south coast, within easy reach of London.
Despite its size, it has the highest concentration of gay men in the UK, and the
UK's highest HIV prevalence: last year, one in seven gay men in Brighton who
agreed to anonymous HIV antibody testing were found to be HIV-infected. Last
year, Dr Martin Fisher, a collaborator on the latest study, told AIDS Treatment
Update that 8% of the gay men attending the city's HIV clinic were already
co-infected with HCV.
It is not clear why epidemics of sexually transmitted HCV in gay men have been
observed in the UK and a few other western European countries, but not in North
America. Studies involving HIV-negative gay men in Montreal and San Francisco
have failed to find any evidence of sexual transmission of hepatitis C.
At the conference, Dr Fisher told aidsmap that outbreaks of sexually
transmitted HCV may behave like classic sexually transmitted infections such as
gonorrhoea or lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), occurring in distinct, localised
clusters.
Phylogenetic analysis from sexually transmitted HCV outbreaks amongst (mostly)
HIV-positive gay men in London and Amsterdam has established that HCV
transmission is primarily occurring within "hard" sexual networks. These and
other reports suggest that many of the men in these networks regularly practice
weekend-long sessions of fisting, unprotected anal intercourse and recreational
drug use.
Such behaviour may also be occurring in other major cities, although studies
exploring whether there are differences between European and North American
sexual practices would shine some light on this. Dr Fisher indicated that he did
not believe gay men in the UK and the US are that different, and that sexually
transmitted HCV epidemics may occur elsewhere in the future. "I think [American
cities] just haven't seen it yet," he told aidsmap. However, he also suggested
that use of methamphetamine - a party drug of choice among gay men in the US -
may have a different effect on HCV transmission than, for example, ecstasy or
ketamine - the recreational drugs used more often in the UK.
The latest data refutes the assumption that sexual HCV transmission is likely
to occur only in HIV-positive people. Brighton is the first city to present data
following actively looking for incident HCV infection in HIV-negative and
untested gay and bisexual men. However, other localities might observe similar
results if they did the same. In particular, it remains unclear whether
HIV-negative and untested men in the London (where men from Brighton often
socialise) are also experiencing a new epidemic of sexually transmitted HCV.
Reference
Fisher M et al. Acute hepatitis C in men who have sex with men is not confined
to those infected with HIV, and their number continues to increase. Fourteenth
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Los Angeles, abstract
130, 2007.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/AA9A879D-347D-4D1B-B8B0-31B1CC1C9131.asp

---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

Hepatitis Foundation International: New Study Supports Effectiveness of Liver
Wellness Education
SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new scientific study provides an
imaginative educational intervention that has demonstrated success in having a
significant impact on preventing viral hepatitis and other blood borne diseases
related to participation in unhealthy behaviors. Results of a National Institute
on Drug Abuse supported multi-site, randomized-control trial called, The Study
to Reduce Intravenous Exposures (STRIVE), tested a behavioral intervention among
a high-risk population of hepatitis C-infected injection drug users (IDUs) to
identify new approaches to prevention of hepatitis and other blood borne
pathogens. The intervention included messages about liver wellness and viewing
the Hepatitis Foundation International's (HFI) video, The Silent Stalker.
The goal of the STRIVE study was to reduce the spread of hepatitis and HIV by
providing information about the importance of the liver and how viruses can
damage this vital organ essential to one's life.
The results of the study among 630 HCV IDUs indicated a 1.85 fold reduction in
lending behaviors; and 2.1 fold reduction in the risk of injecting with used
needles. At three months, those exposed to the intervention were 3 times more
likely to have stopped injection drug use; at 6 months, they were 2 times more
likely to have stopped injecting drugs.
The researchers concluded that these findings indicate an urgent need for
HCV-related prevention interventions with IDUs and demonstrated the
effectiveness of educating individuals about their liver and taking
responsibility for their own healthcare.
"These encouraging results support efforts to provide liver wellness information
to all individuals, young and old alike, to help them avoid the serious
consequences of participating in liver damaging behaviors," said Thelma King
Thiel, CEO of HFI.
HFI's video used in the study and others promoting liver health and prevention
of substance abuse are being used in schools, colleges, STD and substance abuse
clinics, health departments, correction facilities and HIV/AIDS organizations.
They are available in several languages targeting various age groups and
ethnicities.
HFI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the eradication of viral hepatitis,
a disease affecting over 500 million people worldwide. HFI conducts training
programs promoting liver wellness as a means to motivate healthy lifestyle
behaviors.
For more information about the study, HFI's video The Silent Stalker and
Foundation for Decision Making training programs for counselors, social workers,
and educators, call HFI's Education Department at 1-800-891-0707.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&ne\
wsId=20070301005975&newsLang=en

CROI: Sexual transmission of HCV not limited to HIV-positive gay men
Edwin J. Bernard & Liz Highleyman, Thursday, March 01, 2007
Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is taking place in HIV-negative
as well as HIV-positive gay men, according to data from Brighton - the United
Kingdom's city of highest HIV prevalence - presented on Wednesday to the
Fourteenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Los
Angeles.
In recent years there have been a number of studies reporting sexual
transmission of HCV, primarily in HIV-positive gay men in western Europe. First
observed in 2002in the UK, similar outbreaks have also been reported in the
Netherlands, Switzerland and France.
Outbreaks of acute HCV infection amongst HIV-positive gay men (and other men who
have sex with men [MSM] who may not identify as gay or bisexual) have been
detected because HIV-positive people routinely undergo HCV antibody screening as
well as regular liver function tests in order to monitor antiretroviral
toxicity. However, HIV-negative gay men do not routinely receive such testing,
so evidence of a possible parallel sexually transmitted HCV epidemic in this
population has not been reported until now. Nevertheless, even the earliest
reports from the UK included a small number of HIV-negative men.
Researchers from Royal Sussex County Hospital undertook a study to explore
sexual transmission of HCV among HIV-positive and HIV-negative men attending
Brighton's main sexual health and HIV clinic between 2000 and 2006. Due to the
high local HCV infection rate in this population, all MSM attending the clinic
have been screened for HCV since 2000. Men were included in the analysis if they
had one documented negative HCV antibody test and subsequently tested HCV
antibody positive. Participants without a documented HIV antibody test results
were classified as HIV status unknown. Men who reported injection drug use were
excluded.
Out of a total of 7,169 clinic patients, 3,907 had at least one HCV antibody
test, and 25 were newly diagnosed with HCV. Amongst this group, 16 were
HIV-positive, five were HIV-negative, and four had an unknown HIV status.
HCV incidence increased from zero in 2002 to 1.4 per 1,000 patient years in
2003. Incidence increased in 2004 and 2005 to 1.6 and 1.9 per 1,000 patient
years, respectively, and then jumped to 3.6 per 1,000 patient years in 2006.
HIV-positive men were found to be about thirteen times more likely to have a new
HCV diagnosis compared with HIV-negative men. Dr Daniel Richardson, presenting,
described the difference as "dramatic," though the differences did not attain
statistical significance due to the small numbers.
HCV incidence rates in HIV-negative men and those of unknown HIV status were
similar.
In accordance with previous reports, incident HCV diagnosis was associated with
fisting, unprotected anal intercourse, multiple sex partners, and infection with
other sexually transmitted infections.
The researchers concluded there has been a significant increase in new HCV
diagnoses amongst gay men attending their clinic, and - contrary to previous
reports - these have not been seen exclusively in HIV-positive men. While
HIV-positive serostatus remained a major risk factor for HCV infection, a
substantial number of new infections occurred in HIV-negative men or those with
unknown HIV serostatus.
Importantly, all but one of the nine men who were HIV-negative or had unknown
HIV status at the time of their HCV diagnosis later went on to become infected
with HIV, suggesting that they continued to engage in risky behaviour. Dr
Richardson recommended that this high-risk group should be especially targeted
for HIV prevention efforts. He also suggested that routine HCV antibody testing
should be considered for all MSM, regardless of HIV serostatus.
Commentary and analysis
Brighton is a small city on England's south coast, within easy reach of London.
Despite its size, it has the highest concentration of gay men in the UK, and the
UK's highest HIV prevalence: last year, one in seven gay men in Brighton who
agreed to anonymous HIV antibody testing were found to be HIV-infected. Last
year, Dr Martin Fisher, a collaborator on the latest study, told AIDS Treatment
Update that 8% of the gay men attending the city's HIV clinic were already
co-infected with HCV.
It is not clear why epidemics of sexually transmitted HCV in gay men have been
observed in the UK and a few other western European countries, but not in North
America. Studies involving HIV-negative gay men in Montreal and San Francisco
have failed to find any evidence of sexual transmission of hepatitis C.
At the conference, Dr Fisher told aidsmap that outbreaks of sexually transmitted
HCV may behave like classic sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea
or lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), occurring in distinct, localised clusters.
Phylogenetic analysis from sexually transmitted HCV outbreaks amongst (mostly)
HIV-positive gay men in London and Amsterdam has established that HCV
transmission is primarily occurring within "hard" sexual networks. These and
other reports suggest that many of the men in these networks regularly practice
weekend-long sessions of fisting, unprotected anal intercourse and recreational
drug use.
Such behaviour may also be occurring in other major cities, although studies
exploring whether there are differences between European and North American
sexual practices would shine some light on this. Dr Fisher indicated that he did
not believe gay men in the UK and the US are that different, and that sexually
transmitted HCV epidemics may occur elsewhere in the future. "I think [American
cities] just haven't seen it yet," he told aidsmap. However, he also suggested
that use of methamphetamine - a party drug of choice among gay men in the US -
may have a different effect on HCV transmission than, for example, ecstasy or
ketamine - the recreational drugs used more often in the UK.
The latest data refutes the assumption that sexual HCV transmission is likely to
occur only in HIV-positive people. Brighton is the first city to present data
following actively looking for incident HCV infection in HIV-negative and
untested gay and bisexual men. However, other localities might observe similar
results if they did the same. In particular, it remains unclear whether
HIV-negative and untested men in the London (where men from Brighton often
socialise) are also experiencing a new epidemic of sexually transmitted HCV.
Reference
Fisher M et al. Acute hepatitis C in men who have sex with men is not confined
to those infected with HIV, and their number continues to increase. Fourteenth
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Los Angeles, abstract
130, 2007.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/AA9A879D-347D-4D1B-B8B0-31B1CC1C9131.asp

Hospital gets hep C all-clear
Queensland Health has confirmed all patients it tested at a South Burnett
hospital, in the state's south-east, have not contracted hepatitis C.
About 120 people were contacted after a worker at the Kingaroy Hospital tested
positive to hepatitis C last month.
The worker has now been removed from any duties that could lead to patients
contracting the virus.
Queensland Health's Dr Linda Selvey says 74 per cent of patients contacted had
been tested.
"We basically tested the infected patients as a precautionary measure and we
believe that it was very low risk that anybody would become positive for
hepatitis C," she said.
"However, the reason why we did it was a precautionary measure ... we wanted to
make sure there wasn't anybody positive."
Queensland Health says 26 per cent of people contacted either chose not to be
screened or had the test done through their GP.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1860389.htm

Sweat May Pass On Hepatitis B In Contact Sports
Science Daily - Sweat may be another way to pass on hepatitis B infection during
contact sports, suggests research published ahead of print in the British
Journal of Sports Medicine.
Hepatitis B virus attacks the liver and can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis
(scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death.
The research team analysed blood and sweat samples from 70 male Olympic
wrestlers for evidence of hepatitis B infection (HBV).
The wrestlers, who were all aged between 18 and 30, were all asked about
injuries, as blood-borne infection is a common route of transmission.
Over a third said they had had bleeding or weeping wounds during training and
competition. And almost half said that they had had an episode of bleeding
during other activities.
None of the wrestlers had active HBV infection, as evidenced by a lack of
antibodies to the virus.
Nevertheless, the virus itself was found in the blood of nine (13%), suggesting
that they had hidden or occult infection, says the author. This is perfectly
plausible, given that intense training temporarily suppresses a normal immune
response, she says.
Eight (11%) also had particles of the virus present in their sweat, and levels
of the virus found in the blood closely matched those found in the sweat.
The findings prompt the author to suggest that sweat, like open wounds and
mucous membranes, could be another way of transmitting the infection.
Some sporting bodies have ruled that HIV testing should be mandatory for all
contact sport competitors, but no such recommendations have been made for HBV,
says the author.
Yet HBV is far more transmissible, because much higher levels of the virus are
found in the blood and it is not as fragile as HIV, she says, calling for HBV
testing and vaccination for all wrestlers at the start of their career.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by BMJ Specialty
Journals.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070301102707.htm

P.E.I. surgeon tests positive for hep C
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 | 5:26 PM AT
An initial blood test indicates that P.E.I. surgeon Dr. David Ashby may have
contracted hepatitis C.
Ashby has voluntarily stopped performing surgeries until the results of a second
test come back, likely in the next four or five days.
Chief health officer Dr. Lamont Sweet said if the diagnosis is confirmed, the
chance of patients having contracted hepatitis during surgery is low, but a
screening program will be set up.
"It will be a matter of reviewing the situation with consultants and experts in
this area, and looking at setting up a screening program for patients who have
had procedures done," Sweet said.
"It's most likely to go back for a few years first, like, two, three years
first. Because there would be a large number of patients and it's a huge
procedure to get them all in for testing."
Sweet said so far, officials in P.E.I. haven't found an incident in Canada of a
surgeon contracting hepatitis C, although there have been similar situations in
Europe.
The positive test result came from a routine physical exam. Ashby is feeling
fine and will continue to see patients for consultations and follow-up visits,
Sweet said.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/02/28/ashby-hepc.html

YIPPPEEEEEE Congrats Vera.. Welcome to the world little one...... let's pray it
will be a better place for you!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!! hugs, sally
Vera <vew459@...
born 02/28/07 6lbs9oz 19" anew grandson for Vera!
---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

Welcome!!!Ami born 02/28/07 6lbs9oz 19" anew grandson for Vera!

Pam, Dr.D was on local TV last night and I was so bummed. They cut him off
before he got to point of hepc...... oh I was so mad. am seeing him next week.
Also he says howdy and my doc wants me to do TX or at least try, genotype 1b
viral load climbing..... did all new blood work, doing all my medical stuff,
knee, shoulder, colon, EGD, today itching like crazy going to skin doc.......
love your reports..... Is VX-950 gonna be available soon???????
Hi everybody!!!!!!!!!! missed being around..... lots of stuff....... anyway,
alive and kicking..... Thank G-d.....
---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

Human Genome touts interim study results
Last Updated: 27-February-2007 23:06:44
The Phase IIb clinical trial compared a combination of Albuferon and
ribavirn with Pegasys in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C.
Additionally, all patients were given daily doses of ribavirin.
The results showed that patients receiving a dose of Albuferon every two
weeks scored higher on a quality-of-life scale than those receiving Pegasys
weekly. Additionally, 73 percent of patients in the Albuferon group showed a
sustained virologic response, versus 63 percent in the Pegasys group.
A group receiving a higher dose of Albuferon every four weeks also yielded
positive results, the company said, lending support to a possible study on
monthly dosing.
Full details of the study results will be released at an upcoming meeting,
the company said.
Also on Tuesday, the company said it started a Phase III clinical trial of
Albuferon with ribavirin focusing on patients with chronic hepatitis C genotypes
2 and 3.
"These trials, assuming that they are successful, will provide the pivotal
data to support global marketing applications for Albuferon in 2009," said H.
Thomas Watkins, president and chief executive, in a statement.
Shares of Human Genome Sciences jumped 19 cents to $11.15 in after-hours
trading, after falling 58 cents, or 5 percent, to close at $10.96 on the Nasdaq
Stock Market. The stock has ranged from $9.27 to $13.97 over the past year.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and
www.afxpress.com
http://www.sharewatch.com/story.php?storynumber=340488

DD on NBC Channel 6 tonight!
NBC news tonight Dr. Darling....... FAIR foundation.... working with him
Nothing is permanent in this wicked world - not even our troubles.
-- Charlie Chaplin, O Magazine, October 2002
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Richard Darling, DDS" <rdarling1@...
Date: February 28, 2007 6:52:34 PM PST
To: Coachella Valley Liver Disease Support Group <rdarling1@...
Subject: DD on NBC Channel 6 tonight!
If you have a chance, watch the report NBC Anchorman Tom Jordan is doing
tonight on me and the FAIR Foundation. Itll be during the 11 to 11:30 news,
Channel 6.
See you March 12th.
DD J
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.4/705 - Release Date: 2/27/2007 3:24
PM

Inmate went years with contagious disease
Home News Tribune Online 02/28/07
By TOM BALDWIN
GANNETT STATE BUREAU
TRENTON - A state prison inmate went for years without treatment for contagious
Hepatitis C and was denied access to his medical records, while state officials
and a private contractor pointed fingers trying to allay responsibility and deny
the man was even ill.
The state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Department of Corrections must
notify inmates if they're seriously sick, show them their records and - uniquely
in this case - enable them to correct errors in their histories.
"Both of them were pointing at each other and nobody was taking care of the
patient," said Roger Martindell, a Princeton lawyer who helped represent the
inmate at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton who sued.
"Despite the serpentine history of this case," wrote Associate Justice Virginia
Long in the unanimous decision, "during oral argument, DOC finally acknowledged
that it, indeed, has a non-delegable duty to assure adequate medical care to
inmates."
Even today, the Department of Corrections does not know if other inmates are in
the same fix. "We would hope that that is not the case," spokesman Matt Schuman
said Tuesday.
Martindell said the inmate in this case knew he suffered from Hepatitis C,
having been tested in a Pennsylvania prison.
"When he was transfered to the state prison system in New Jersey, he told them
he had tested positive for Hepatitis C in Pennsylvania. The state system here
refused to test him, and they would not take his word for what he knew to be
true," he said.
"So he went a significant amount of time, years, without any treatment," said
Martindell.
Martindell said the New Jersey inmate finally got a test in 2001, but the notes
entered into his medical record said it came up negative. "The patient knew the
test was in error," Martindell said. "He asked to see the report."
But New Jersey prison officials refused to show the inmate his records, a move
for which DOC spokesman Schuman said he had no explanation. Martindell said DOC
had claimed the record was a legal document, so the inmate could not see it,
until obtaining one with the help of a lawyer 18 months later.
"Finally he got a copy of his record, and it showed in fact that it (Hepatitis)
was detected but the doctor misread the report," Martindell said. "First they
did not test him, and then they misread the report."
Enter Correctional Medical Services of St. Louis, Mo., a private contractor
which last year was paid $92.5 million to provide medical care for New Jersey
inmates.
While the patient - unidentified in court documents beyond "J.D.A." - waited to
have his record corrected, the state said CMS had to do the task while the
contractor argued it was the state's responsibility. The records weren't fixed
for 15 months.
"You had the contractor pointing at the DOC saying, "Hey, it's your prisoner.
... And the DOC was pointing at the contractor saying, "It's your problem,"'
Martindell said.
"We will certainly work with the Department of Corrections to abide the court's
ruling," said company spokesman Ken Fields. The contractor was not a party to
the legal case.
"There is not much to comment. We'll abide by the court's decision," said
Schuman. He refused to address how this had transpired: "The decision is giving
the department stipulations on how these things should be handled, and that is
how we will do it."
He refused to say if there had been prior protocols for keeping inmates' health
records.
Hepatitis C is a potentially deadly virus spread by blood. The inmate was housed
at New Jersey State Prison on Trenton's south end.
Tom Baldwin: tbaldwi@...
http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/B3/20070228/NEWS0301/702280485/10\
08/NEWS03

Vaccine Promising Against Hepatitis E
Army sees promising results from vaccine against hepatitis E, disease found in
Asia
(AP) The U.S. Army has carried out a promising early test of the first vaccine
against hepatitis E, a form of the liver-attacking disease that sickens many
Asians and can spread to soldiers or other Western visitors to the region.
The vaccine, made from moth cells infected with an engineered virus, was 96
percent effective for Nepalese Army soldiers who took all three doses. However,
the disease wasn't widespread even in a group without the vaccine: only 7
percent got sick.
The two-year test on 1,794 soldiers _ almost all men _ was reported Thursday in
The New England Journal of Medicine. The study turned up no major side effects.
Though rarely fatal for most people, the disease can cause nasty stomach
symptoms and pose special danger to pregnant women.
It's not yet clear how long this vaccine's protection might last or whether its
benefits would justify its cost. Also, other side effects might be apparent in
larger populations.
The study was funded by the U.S. Army and National Institutes of Health. The
drug's developer, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, also gave funding and participated in the
research.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/01/ap/health/mainD8NJ26NG0.shtml

Pharmasset Initiates Multiple Ascending Dose Study of R7128 in Patients
Chronically Infected With HCV Genotype 1
Wednesday February 28, 6:45 am ET
PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmasset initiated the multiple
ascending dose portion of an on-going Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating R7128 in
up to 40 patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1.
The primary objective of this part of the study, being conducted in
collaboration with Roche, is to assess the safety, tolerability and
pharmacokinetics of multiple doses of R7128 after once-daily or twice-daily
dosing for 14 days. The secondary objective is to assess antiviral efficacy of
R7128 by measuring the decrease in HCV viral load. As a result of the initiation
of the multiple ascending dose portion of this study, Pharmasset triggered a
$5.0 million milestone payment from Roche.
Pharmasset and Roche recently completed part 1 of this Phase 1 study in 38
healthy volunteers who received single ascending doses of R7128. The effect of
food on R7128 was also assessed. Preliminary data from the single ascending dose
portion of the study indicate:
- All doses of R7128 studied were generally well-tolerated.
- All patients completed the study, and none experienced gastrointestinal
adverse events or serious adverse events during the study.
- No hematological or laboratory abnormalities of clinical significance
were noted.
The preliminary safety and pharmacokinetic data from part 1 of the study
supported progression of R7128 into part 2 of the study in patients chronically
infected with HCV genotype 1.
About R7128
R7128 is a polymerase inhibitor being developed for the treatment of chronic
hepatitis C. R7128 is a prodrug of PSI-6130, which demonstrated excellent
potency in preclinical studies. PSI-6130 is a pyrimidine nucleoside analog
inhibitor of HCV RNA polymerase, an enzyme that is necessary for hepatitis C
viral replication. Results from an oral single ascending dose study in 24
healthy male volunteers showed that PSI-6130 was generally well tolerated with
no serious adverse events in doses up to 3000 mg.
R7128 Phase 1 Study Overview
The Phase I clinical trial is a multiple center, observer-blinded, randomized
and placebo-controlled study to investigate the pharmacokinetics,
pharmacodynamics, safety, tolerability and food effect of R7128 in healthy
volunteers and in patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1. This study
is comprised of two parts:
- Part 1 is a single ascending dose study being conducted in up to 38
healthy volunteers. The primary objective of Part 1 is to assess the
safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of R7128 following single
ascending doses under fasting conditions. The secondary objective of
Part 1 is to explore the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of
R7128.
- Part 2 is a multiple ascending dose study being conducted in up to 40
patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1. The primary
objective of Part 2 is to assess the safety, tolerability and
pharmacokinetics of R7128 after once-daily or twice-daily dosing for 14
days. The secondary objective is to assess antiviral efficacy by
measuring the decrease in HCV viral load.
About Hepatitis CHepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease of the
liver and is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and liver transplants. The
WHO estimates that nearly 180 million people worldwide, or approximately 3% of
the world's population, are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The CDC has
reported that almost four million people in the United States have been infected
with HCV, of whom 2.7 million are chronically infected.
About Pharmasset
Pharmasset is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to discovering,
developing and commercializing novel drugs to treat viral infections.
Pharmasset's primary focus is on the development of oral therapeutics for the
treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Contact:
Alan Roemer
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
alan.roemer@...
Office: (609) 613-4125
STATEMENTS IN THIS COMPANY PRESS RELEASE MAY CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO NUMEROUS RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, INCLUDING THE
FAILURE OF R7128 TO PERFORM AS EXPECTED, THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO ATTRACT AND
RETAIN QUALIFIED PERSONNEL TO CONDUCT THE REQUIRED CLINICAL TRIALS OF R7128 ,
THE STATUS OF THE COMPANY'S HCV COLLABORATION WITH ROCHE, THE COMPANY'S FUTURE
CAPITAL NEEDS TO FUND THE R7128 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO
OBTAIN ADDITIONAL FINANCING, THE COMPANY'S ABILITY TO OBTAIN REQUIRED REGULATORY
APPROVALS FOR R7128, THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETITIVE HCV PRODUCTS BY OTHERS, THE
EXISTENCE OF THIRD-PARTY PATENT RIGHTS, AND OTHER RISKS INHERENT IN DISCOVERY
AND DEVELOPMENT STAGE PROGRAMS AT A BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY. THE ACTUAL RESULTS
FOR R7128 MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE ANTICIPATED IN THIS COMPANY PRESS
RELEASE. THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ANY OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED
IN THIS COMPANY PRESS RELEASE.

State prison medical treatment called 'hoax'
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
By Pat Shellenbarger
The Grand Rapids Press
LANSING -- Fredrick Heinz needed medical care to save his life.
Doing time in Marquette Branch Prison, he begged prison doctors to treat his
hepatitis C, but was turned down, told it would cost too much, a friend, Jackie
Deming, told a state legislative committee Tuesday.
When he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in November, Heinz asked for pain
medication and was given two Tylenol in the morning and two at night, Deming
testified. But when he asked for something stronger, the doctor took away the
Tylenol, she said.
He was scheduled for cancer surgery, but then was transferred to another prison
where the medical personnel said they had no record of his illnesses.
"He will never again be lied to and jerked around like a wounded animal," said
Deming, of Hudsonville.
Heinz died Feb. 5 at age 51.
Deming's testimony came minutes after state Corrections Department officials
assured the same panel -- the Corrections Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee -- that inmates receive adequate medical care.
"We meet the community standards that are provided in any HMO," Barry Wickman,
head of the Corrections Department's bureau of fiscal management, told the
subcommittee.
Tuesday's hearing came as the Corrections Department is under the competing
pressures to cut its budget while improving medical care for prisoners.
The department's contract with Correctional Medical Services, the for-profit
company that has provided medical care in Michigan's prisons for the past
decade, expires May 1, but Wickman said the department may extend it another
year while the National Commission on Correctional Health Care conducts an
investigation ordered by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
William Clancy, a prison psychologist and union steward, spoke out against what
he called "the hoax perpetuated by the Department of Corrections as far as the
quality of health care in the prisons."
Every year, the department files the same report assuring the Legislature that
CMS is providing medically necessary services to prisoners.
"I ask you, if CMS is providing medically necessary service, then why are
prisoners dying unnecessarily?" Clancy said.
He noted the case of Anthony McManus, who died Sept. 8, 2005, in the Baraga
Correctional Facility after CMS doctors repeatedly failed to heed nurses'
requests to examine him. McManus, who was mentally ill, refused to eat, and his
weight dropped from 140 pounds in April 2005 to 75 pounds five months later,
when he died.
"The citizens of our great state will be paying off wrongful death lawsuits for
years to come," Clancy warned the legislators.
His remarks were echoed by Gary Peterson, employed to schedule inmates' medical
appointments at Marquette Branch Prison. Before the state privatized the medical
care, the prison had three doctors, each seeing an average 25 to 30 inmates a
day, said Peterson, a steward for the UAW local representing some prison
employees. After CMS took over the care, the prison was cut back to one doctor
seeing an average of eight to 10 patients a day, he said.
The CMS doctors frequently quit, he said, leaving the prison without a
physician.
On Monday, a CMS doctor was fired, Peterson said, because he was not fully
licensed to practice medicine in Michigan.
"I believe the attorney general should be asked to look into the handling of
this contract, as well as CMS's failure to honor its obligations," Peterson
said.
Send e-mail to the author: pshellenbarger@...
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-34/1172678116243210.xml&c\
oll=6

There's an ALL-NEW WebMD for You to See!
redesigned WebMD to quickly guide you to the trusted health information you
need.
Take a look at our new Skin & Beauty Guide -- the cornerstone of the new Skin &
Beauty Center. Save these links to your "Favorites" for a quick return.
There's more to see -- check back here in your next newsletter.
Hepatitis C Support Group
Suffering from Hepatitis C? Join in and share your daily experiences and health
concerns with others who know what you are experiencing.
http://boards.webmd.com/webx?50@@.5987f437

Hepatitis B Drug Triggers HIV Drug Resistance
Published: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 | 9:48 PM ET
Canadian Press: AMANDA GARDNER, HEALTHDAY REPORTER
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) - A commonly used hepatitis drug spurs
resistance to HIV drugs in patients who are infected with both viruses, Johns
Hopkins researchers report.
Although many medications have this problem, entecavir (Baraclude) was thought
to be different.
"What that means is that 1/8hepatitis B 3/8 patients, if they don't know they're
HIV-positive, could start spreading drug-resistant HIV to other people," said
Dr. Michael Horberg, director of HIV/AIDS policy at Kaiser Permanente Health
Plan in Santa Clara, Calif. "And, once they are treated for HIV, it'll be harder
to treat."
"We've always said that patients who are going to be treated for hepatitis B
should be screened for HIV, even if they deny risk factors," Horberg added.
"And, if they're co-infected, they probably should be treated for HIV as well,
or at least be aware that they run the potential risk of creating a resistant
virus."
However, Horberg did point out that the research comes from a tiny sample, only
two patients. "Let's not draw conclusions based on only two patients, although
it certainly is suggestive," he cautioned. "This small sample seems to lead to
the question, 'Is it different?' "
The researchers, who are expected to present their findings Wednesday at the
2007 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Los Angeles,
have already informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration so prescribing
physicians can be notified and drug labeling changed. They have also notified
Baraclude's maker, Bristol-Myers Squibb.
"It gives you fewer choices in which to treat co-infected patients whose HIV
doesn't need therapy yet," explained senior study author Dr. Chloe Thio, an
associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
"The guidelines recommend entecavir as first-line therapy in HIV-infected
patients who need their hepatitis B treated but not their HIV. That's no longer
the case. With the data at present, the guidelines should be changed."
As many as 400 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis B, a viral
infection that affects the liver. For most adults, the infection is acute and
lasts no more than six months. But for about 10 percent of adults, up to half of
all children, and about 90 percent of babies infected with hepatitis B, the
disease becomes chronic and can lead to scarring of the liver, liver cancer and
liver failure.
Entecavir first came on the market in March 2005 to treat chronic forms of
hepatitis B. Currently, the drug's label says it has no clinical effect on HIV.
Recent research also had found entecavir to be more effective than another
commonly used drug in managing the liver disease. A hepatitis vaccine has been
available since 1982, but there were 60,000 new infections in the United States
in 2004 alone. Currently, 1.2 million Americans have hepatitis B.
But, after seeing reports of anti-HIV activity in two co-infected patients, Thio
decided to conduct an investigation on her own. (There has since been a third
case.)
Thio and her team combined different concentrations of entecavir with 100,000
healthy human immune cells, then infected them with HIV and measured the number
of cells infected over time.
In concentrations less than one-tenth of what is used in humans, entecavir
slashed the number of newly infected cells in half (meaning that it slowed HIV
replication). But higher concentrations of the drug brought no greater impact.
And the drug did not stop a mutated form of the virus (M184V) from infecting
healthy immune cells, indicating that the drug contributes to development of
this mutation. This was later confirmed in clinical testing.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/HealthScout/070228/602289AU.html

Judge Judy and an eBay Scammer
http://www.planetvids.com/html/Judge-Judy-Pwns-Scammer.html

Worth watching
This is a 1-1/2 hour video but really worthwhile:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3043198062049907756&hl=en
(if you don't have enough time for a complete viewing, you can always go back
and pick up where you left off)
Oprah did a show on this a few weeks ago.

Liver transplant unit to be set up in PIMS
ISLAMABAD: The country's first liver transplant unit is to be set up in the
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) at an estimated cost of Rs 400
million, renowned PIMS gastroenterologist Prof Dr Javed Aslam Butt announced
while addressing a seminar titled 'Paradigm Shift in Hepatitis-C Treatment' here
on Tuesday.
He said that the project's PC-1 had been prepared and work would be initiated
soon after its approval. He said that the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Lahore would
begin liver transplant operations and would be the first hospital to start such
a facility in the country. He said that transplant operations would also be cost
effective, with liver transplants costing around Rs 1 to 1.5 million, much lower
than overseas costs. Gastroenterology, Barts Centre and Queen Mary's School of
Medicine and Dentistry, London Hepatology Professor Dr Graham R Foster said that
numerous steps had been taken for treating hepatitis-C in the past 10 years. He
said that many medicines were available for treating the same disease, and that
it was the doctor's responsibility to suggest suitable medicines to the patient.
Royal Free Hospital Medicine Department, London, Consultant Hepatologist Dr
James O Beirne said that during the next 15 to 20 years, advanced treatment for
hepatitis-C would be available due to the research currently in progress.
Medicine and Gastroenterology Prof Dr Muzaffar Lateef Gill said that only
medically approved treatment should be provided to hepatitis-C patients, which
allow 80 to 90 percent recovery results.
He commended the conference and said that it enabled participants to learn about
the latest research and technology to treat hepatitis-C. He said that for the
first time, two expert doctors from the United Kingdom had attended the
conference and spoke on the various methods to diagnose and treat the disease.
Dr Gill expressed hope that the seminar would be helpful in boosting public
hepatitis-C awareness. He said that the conference was the largest and most
comprehensive hepatitis-C awareness event in the country and said that a
national action plan for the prevention and control of hepatitis-C was also
discussed.
Maj Gen (r) Tauqeer Shah, Dr Nauman Niaz, Prof Shoib Shafi and Dr Nasir Khokar
also spoke on the occasion.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C02%5C28%5Cstory_28-2-2007_p\
g11_9

The Valencia Hepatitis C case is ready for sentencing
By m.p.
Mon, 26 Feb 2007, 22:22
The anaesthetist Juan Maeso, the only person accused for the massive infection
of 276 patients with the Hepatitis C virus in the Valencia Region in the late
1990s, has told the court that he is innocent and should be acquitted.
He is accused of infecting the patients during surgery at La Fe public hospital,
and the private clinics Casa de Salud, Virgen del Consuelo and Clínica Quirón.
Maeso made his statement on the final day of his trial, which is now ready for
sentencing. More than 350 people have been called to take the stand in the past
18 months, from the patients affected, to health staff and expert witnesses. 157
lawyers are involved in the case, along with 111 solicitors.
There are 32 separate volumes to the case summary.
Juan Maeso, a morphine addict, is charged with using the same needle on himself
and his patients. He faces more than two thousand years in prison if found
guilty.
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_9148.shtml

TYLER DISCOVERED BLOOD INFECTION AFTER INJURING LEG
AEROSMITH legend STEVE TYLER was shocked to discover he had contracted blood
disorder hepatitis C after an on-stage injury forced him to undergo emergency
surgery, The 58-year-old rocker and father of Hollywood star LIV TYLER, had been
oblivious to his condition until he was admitted to hospital for surgery on his
leg in 2003. He says, "It was God's strange sense of humour, because it happened
during DON'T WANNA MISS A THING, which is the biggest number one single we ever
had. "Then the doctors told me, 'Ya'know, your blood looks a little weird,
there's something else going on.' "They discovered I had hepatitis C, which they
call the silent killer. I'd been rockin' out for years and I didn't know I had
it." Tyler had to undergo treatment for 12 months, and is now free of the
disease, but admits the fight against the virus was a punishing experience. He
adds, "They do a shot once a week and you get pills and it f**kin' kills you.
But it worked. I don't have the hepatitis anymore in my blood stream, so now I
can get insurance again."
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/tyler%20discovered%20blood%20infect\
ion%20after%20injuring%20leg_1023422

Celebrity partygoers exposed to Hepatitis A
Tue Feb 27, 10:02 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Sports Illustrated bash for its annual swimsuit issue
has turned into a health scare for stars in Hollywood after a caterer working
for celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck may have exposed them to acute Hepatitis A.
The Los Angeles County health department recommended on Tuesday that anyone who
ate uncooked food at the U.S. sports magazine's party on February 14 get
treatment by Wednesday to avoid developing the serious liver disease.
Health officials said the risk was "quite low" and that no Wolfgang Puck
pre-packaged foods or restaurants were affected.
Hepatitis A is caused by a virus spread by ingesting something contaminated with
the feces of an infected person. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of
appetite, nausea, abdominal pain and jaundice.
Carl Shuster, president of Wolfgang Puck Catering, said the company was working
closely with health officials to contact anyone who ate food prepared in its
Hollywood kitchen between February 1 and 20.
Shuster said the worker was placed on medical leave and the company has "applied
exceptional procedures" to disinfect the kitchens and food processing areas.
"Our catering efforts continue and we remain confident that our guests will
receive the highest standards of excellence for which Wolfgang Puck is known,"
the statement said.
This year's swimsuit issue features singer-actress Beyonce Knowles as the cover
model, with rapper Kanye West, country star Kenny Chesney and members of the
bands Aerosmith and Gnarls Barkley posing with scantily clad models.
http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Entertainment-News/Article/Default.aspx?idx=50\
6621
A-List Exposed To Hepatitis
John L. Ramey Reporting
LOS ANGELES (KNX) -- An employee of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck exposed
A-list partiers to Hepatitis earlier this month, according to LA County health
officials. One of Puck's prep cooks has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A. The
employee handled food at four events in mid-February, including the Sports
Illustrated Swimsuit Issue event at the Pacific Design Center. The sick employee
has been placed on medical leave, according to Puck Catering.
No one who ate food touched by the contaminated employee after February
20th is at risk for infection. This includes the post-Oscar Governor's Ball,
catered by Puck. However, officials are recommending an immediate shot of immune
globulin to anyone who attended the Sports Illustrated party on Valentine's Day.
People attending the three other events in question - private parties - should
also get the shot as soon as possible.
Eaters of Puck's pre-packaged food products nor patrons of his restaurants
are at risk, according to the Public Health Department.
With an incubation period of two to seven weeks, hepatitis A spreads
through fecal contamination of food. People in close contact with someone with
Hepatitis A are also of elevated risk for infection. Symptoms can include
jaundice, fatigue, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea. Immune globulin must be
received by an infected person within 14 days of exposure to be an effective
cure.
Anyone needing vaccination with immune globulin should call 800.427.8700
or the LA County hotline at 211.
http://www.knx1070.com/pages/268176.php?contentType=4&contentId=350397

Key protein for hepatitis C virus entry identified
For as many as 200 million people worldwide infected with hepatitis C, a leading
cause of chronic liver disease, treatment options are only partially effective.
But new research by Rockefeller University scientists points to a potential new
target for better drugs: a key protein that resides in human liver cells that
hepatitis C requires for entry.
Scientists have known that for HCV to infect human cells, at least two molecules
- CD81 and SR-B1 - must be present on the surface of the cell. However, they
suspected that at least one other molecule also has to be present, because in
some cells that contained the known molecules HCV was still unable to gain
entry.
Co-first authors Matthew Evans and Thomas von Hahn, postdoctoral associates in
Rockefeller's Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease led by Charlie Rice,
set out to find the missing receptor. HCV is notorious for being too difficult
to replicate in cell culture, so Evans and von Hahn used HCV "pseudoparticles,"
HIV particles in which the HIV envelope proteins are replaced with those from
HCV. This replacement tricks the host cell into allowing the engineered particle
to enter in a manner identical to that of authentic HCV. Once inside the cell,
however, the HIV replication machinery takes over.
In order to identify potential entry receptors, Evans and von Hahn teamed up
with co-authors Theodora Hatziioannou and Paul Bieniasz, HIV researchers at
Rockefeller and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center who had developed a
special multiple-round screening technique. The screen pointed them to
claudin-1, a protein involved in the maintenance of cell structures called tight
junctions that is found in several epithelial tissues in the body, and is most
prevalent in the liver.
A series of experiments on various human cell lines confirmed that claudin-1 is
a requirement for HCV entry, says von Hahn. The research showed that the HCV
pseudoparticle was able to enter cells that contain claudin-1, as well as
claudin-1-deficient cells that were made to artificially express the protein,
but not other cells. "We did not see HCV enter any cell that did not have
claudin-1," says von Hahn.
Further experiments showed that claudin-1 only appears to come into play after
the virus has bound to the cell, perhaps as a means for the virion to actually
be taken up by the cell or facilitate fusion between the virus and cell
membranes. The scientists reported their findings this week in an advance online
publication in the journal Nature.
The researchers believe that there may be additional receptors - yet to be
identified - that are necessary for HCV to infect cells, as some human cell
lines contain all three receptors but still do not become infected. HCV also
does not enter some human cells that express all three factors, nor can it
infect mouse cells that have been engineered to express the three human
receptors.
The identification of claudin-1, and the possible discovery of additional host
cell receptors, offers the promise of new avenues for anti-HCV therapeutics,
according to the authors.
"Anti-HCV drugs currently under development are directed against viral enzymes
required for viral replication, to which the virus can readily evolve
resistance," says Evans. "HCV may be less able to develop resistance to drugs
targeting receptors on the host cell."
"We also foresee the potential for combination therapies, which would attack
different stages of HCV infection, much like the HIV cocktail that has been so
effective," says Rice, who is the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg Professor
and scientific director of the Center for the Study of Hepatitis C, a
cooperative endeavor of Rockefeller, Weill Medical College of Cornell University
and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Nature Online: February 25, 2007
http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=601

oh man I worked on this for years and years with Capt Kevin Donnelly who is now
passed.... NOT from hepc, but that is what wife says.... you can find his story
on a page if you want. We finally got McCain to bring it up....... I know that
if one now brings in biopsy results that show time of either vaccines, time in
service..... and only bx can show ..... they will get full benefits.... wonder
if they can do this after one passes..... All you vets, get a bx because if you
got it even if you think you got it from IV or whatever.... you could have
gotten from gammablobulin, any vaccine and they will give FULL Benefits......
check out this page and find out about dear Kevin..... I still cry.
http://www.geocities.com/1Leighann/ lots of info and now let me
find......Kevin's Panama Story http://www.geocities.com/hepvet/PanamaTitle.html
and trying to find his memorial
page...http://www.geocities.com/hepvet/Kevin.html
Vets go here and look around..... one thing on page is not correct, I know from
personal experience with friend. You can pass on in breastmilk. love ya, sallyu
---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

Microsoft to Buy Health Information Search Engine
By STEVE LOHR
Published: February 27, 2007
Microsoft's drive into the health care market is just getting under way, but the
company signaled yesterday that one important ingredient in its plan will be a
specialized search engine tailored to deliver useful medical information to
consumers.
Microsoft is buying Medstory Inc., a small start-up in Foster City, Calif. Its
search software applies artificial intelligence techniques to medical and health
information in medical journals, government documents and on the Internet.
The terms of the Medstory acquisition were not disclosed.
The Medstory purchase, said Peter Neupert, vice president for health strategy at
Microsoft, was a first step in a broader company strategy to assemble
technologies that would "improve the consumer experience in health care."
"Clearly," Mr. Neupert said, "search is a critical part of that better
end-to-end experience for consumers."
The acquisition follows Microsoft's purchase last year of Azyxxi, a clinical
health care software system that retrieves and quickly displays patient
information from many sources, including scanned documents, X-rays, M.R.I. scans
and ultrasound images.
The Microsoft move comes at a time of increased investment in online health
ventures, rising traffic at consumer health sites on the Web and profits at the
most popular sites. Last month, a venture firm headed by Stephen M. Case, the
former chief executive of America Online, introduced an ambitious new consumer
health site, RevolutionHealth.com.
WebMD, the leading health-related site, last week reported strong quarterly
profit of $8.9 million on revenue of $80.6 million, surpassing Wall Street's
expectations. The stock price of WebMD - an Internet pioneer in health
information that struggled for years - has surged in the last year.
In health-related search, Healthline Networks, a start-up in San Francisco,
reports rising traffic on its Web site and a growing string of deals to provide
the search engine for sites of other companies, including Merck and PacifiCare.
At Google, Adam Bosworth, a vice president for engineering, is leading the
effort to develop a health-information offering.
These companies and others are seeking ways to build businesses on the Internet
that profit from what is called consumer-driven health care. The notion is that
shifts in demographics, economics, technology and policy will inevitably mean
that individuals will want to, and be forced to, make more health care decisions
themselves.
Aging baby boomers, accustomed to personal choice and to technology, tend to
want a say in their treatment decisions. And the Internet is already an
important source of health information. Eight million people in the United
States go online for health information every day, according to a study last
year by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a nonprofit group.
Financially, the pressure by Medicare and private health insurers to hold down
costs and shift more of the burden to individuals, analysts say, will force
people to make more health care spending choices.
In Medstory, Microsoft is acquiring "some of the best deep technology" in the
emerging field of medical search, said Esther Dyson, an industry analyst who is
also an investor in Medstory. That technology, Ms. Dyson said, is "not so much a
search engine, but an ontology engine," with a capability to find and identify
concepts in health and not just sort through words and Web links.
The longer-range goal, Mr. Neupert said, is to link personal information like
age, sex, drug regimens, family history and even genetic markers to search. The
ideal is that search results are tailored individually, identifying treatments,
drug interactions and medical journal articles of interest.
"Health search could be way more relevant," he said. "You don't need to see
thousands of results. What you want to know is, what does this mean to me
personally?"
Dr. Alain T. Rappaport, the founder and chief executive of Medstory, said he was
impressed by the importance Microsoft placed on "intelligent search" in health
care and by the promise that Microsoft's global reach and resources could
accelerate the spread of the technology his team developed.
Microsoft had talked to Healthline recently about using its health search
service, said West Shell III, the chief executive of Healthline. "This means
Microsoft has decided to go it alone," Mr. Shell said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/technology/27soft.html?th&emc=th

Anger as 'hep C widows' left out in the cold
Around 200 women living without financial aid
Lorna Martin
Sunday February 25, 2007
The Observer
Widows whose husbands died after receiving contaminated NHS blood are urging the
government to close a loophole which denies them access to financial assistance.
Around 200 women in the UK, many of whom are pensioners and living in severe
hardship, are excluded from the fund because their partners, who all suffered
from haemophilia, died from hepatitis C complications before an official cut-off
date to be considered for compensation. Had they died later or from an
HIV-related illness, they would have been entitled to support.
The women are stepping up their campaign after the announcement on Monday that
there is to be an independent public inquiry into the supply of tainted blood
products to haemophiliacs in the UK.
For the past 15 years, The Observer has supported calls for an inquiry and
adequate compensation for those affected in what the Labour peer Lord Robert
Winston has described as the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.
More than 4,800 haemophiliacs in Britain were infected with hepatitis C, and
1,200 of those also contracted HIV after being given contaminated blood products
during the Eighties and early Nineties. More than 1,700 have since died, and
many more are terminally ill. Campaigners say they have suffered extreme
financial hardship because most of them are uninsurable, unemployable and unable
to make adequate provision for their dependants.
Successive governments have ruled out inquiries but they have established two
funds to help those affected - the Skipton Fund for those infected with
hepatitis and the MacFarlane Trust for those who contracted HIV. All but the
group of women known as 'hep C widows' have received or are entitled to some
form of financial assistance from one of the funds.
The anomaly in the scheme is highlighted by the case of Maureen Murphy, a
69-year-old widow from Liverpool. Her husband, William, was one of three
brothers with haemophilia who died after receiving contaminated blood. The
widows and dependants of his two brothers, who contracted HIV, have received
support.
However, because her husband contracted hepatitis C, which is now regarded as a
more deadly disease in the western world than HIV, from the tainted blood and
died before August 2003, Mrs Murphy is not entitled to any form of financial
help. 'This is such an unjust and indefensible situation,' Mrs Murphy said.
'This is a dreadful thing to say but in the lottery of NHS blood infection, it
would have been easier if my husband had got HIV rather than hepatitis C.'
Mrs Murphy gave up her work to become a full-time carer for her husband. Because
of the problems surrounding haemophilia, they were unable to take out insurance
policies or mortgage protection. Greg Murphy, her son, said the government had
created a 'deplorable caveat'. 'Unlike widows of HIV victims, who were rightly
compensated my mum has never received a penny. She has suffered the same pain at
the loss of her husband. How can the government possibly decide that her
suffering is less because he died from hepatitis rather than HIV?'
Harriet Bullock, who is in her seventies and who lost her husband, Ken, eight
years ago, said the situation had devastated her family's life .'I feel so angry
that there is a small group of us who are excluded simply because our husbands
died before the government decided to create the fund. No one has ever said
sorry. I can't yet begin to mourn Ken.'
Lord Morris of Manchester, president of the Haemophilia Society, who initiated
the public inquiry after years of campaigning, said: 'It is a gross anomaly that
widows of those infected with hepatitis C are excluded. It illustrates the
piecemeal way this tragedy has been dealt with.'
A spokesman for the Department of Health said there were no plans to offer
financial support to the widows, and stressed that the scheme was designed to
make lump sum payments to those living with hepatitis C and not to compensate
for bereavement.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservices/story/0,,2020954,00.html

ACC work on Hepatitis C gets award
LATHRUP VILLAGE - The ACC Public Health Division, Hepatitis C Virus Project
abstract, "The Prevalence of Hepatitis C Among Arab & Chaldean Americans in
Southeast Michigan," has been selected for poster presentation during Digestive
Disease Week, to be held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC,
May 19-24, 2007.
This is considered the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology conference
in the world, with usual attendance in excess of 10,000 physicians, and health
care professionals.
Additionally the abstract will be published in the April, 2007 supplement to
"Gastroenterology," gastroenterology's leading peer-reviewed journal committed
to publishing clinical and basic studies of all aspects of the digestive system,
including the liver and pancreas, as well as nutrition.
http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=7734

Feb. 23, 2007, 11:26PM
2,000 get free hepatitis shots
More than 2,000 people received free antibody shots to fight off hepatitis A
after learning an employee at a north Harris County Pappasito's Cantina was
infected with the disease, county health officials said.
Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services had issued a health
advisory for any customers who had eaten at the restaurant since late January.
People exposed to hepatitis A can be treated with antibodies, but they must
receive shots no later than two weeks after exposure.
Nearly 2,300 showed up at a three-day clinic hosted by the county Health
Department. Of those 2,020 received the free immune globulin shot.
There is no cure for hepatitis A, a liver infection, but most people do not
develop major long-term health problems. Many recover on their own.
The Pappasito's employee no longer works at the 15280 North Freeway restaurant.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/4578204.html

02/25/07
Church holds program about HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C
Event focuses on disease prevention
PUNTA GORDA -- Dr. David Klein had a message for the 40 or so people gathered at
First Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church for the sixth annual HIV/AIDS and
hepatitis C awareness luncheon.
"We can make this disease go away in one generation," he said.
That point made an impact on Melody Washington, the church secretary.
"It's been an eye-opener," she said after the event Saturday. "I learned a lot."
Prevention and education were the themes of the program. The keynote speakers
were Klein, who splits his time between volunteering at the Charlotte County
Health Department's HIV/AIDS Clinic and an ophthalmology practice, and Dr. Mark
Asperilla, an infectious disease specialist who works as director of medicine at
the clinic.
The doctors said they spoke at the event to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and
hepatitis C infection. Those diseases, once associated with homosexuality, have
become increasingly common among other population groups, the doctors said --
particularly black and Hispanic women, whom Asperilla said account for more than
50 percent of HIV/AIDS cases in the United States.
"We're in the right place, the right time and the right venue to preach
prevention," Asperilla said.
To demonstrate the universality of the HIV/AIDS problem, Klein told those in
attendance about one of his patients, a 78-year-old widow who had only had two
sexual partners over her lifetime.
"I don't think anyone would stand there and say 'shame,'" he said.
The doctors also talked about hepatitis C, an infection that spreads in many of
the same ways HIV/AIDS does -- through sex, needle-sharing and the transmission
of bodily fluids. However, hepatitis C, which damages the liver over time, is
four times more common than HIV/AIDS. Many people contract both.
"The worst thing is to treat the HIV but not the hep C," Klein said.
"They're dying from the hep C," Asperilla added.
In late March or April, the Hope Clinic of Charlotte County will begin treating
60 uninsured or underinsured patients per year who have chronic, active
hepatitis C, Asperilla said. The clinic will be located at the county health
department in Punta Gorda.
Speakers at Saturday's event also addressed the stigmatization of people with
HIV/AIDS. Bo James, youth director at Sacred Heart Church, was one of several
who spoke about the HIV/AIDS Pastoral Care Committee, which visits people with
the disease.
"These people need to be touched," he said. "The Lord has no hands or feet on
this earth. We are to be his hands or feet."
You can e-mail Carolyn Quinn at cquinn@....
By CAROLYN QUINN
Staff Writer
http://www.sun-herald.com/Newsstory.cfm?pubdate=022507&story=tp7ch2.htm&folder=N\
ewsArchive2

http://emedicine.com/rc/rc/i4/hepatitis.htm
---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

REUTERS
HEALTH INFORMATION
China Stops Blood Drug Over Hepatitis C Fears
Reuters Health Information 2007. © 2007 Reuters Ltd.
Republication
or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar
means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of
Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the
content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the
Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the
Reuters group of companies around the world.
BEIJING (Reuters) Jan 24 - China has suspended
the production and sale of an intravenously injected blood-based drug
used to treat immune system deficiencies after users were feared to
have contracted hepatitis C.
China's Health Ministry and drug watchdog, the State Food and Drug
Administration, said that the Guangdong Bioyee Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
had committed "illegal behaviour" in the production of its
immunoglobulin drug and that users had tested positive to "Hepatitis C
antibodies".
"Experts confirmed a link between this and the problematic
products," the notice posted on the State Food and Drug Administration
Web site said.
Investigations by health authorities had found that some of the
products lacked proper production and inspection records, the notice
said.
The notice called on hospitals to track down patients who had used
the drug and urged patients who developed adverse reactions to "adopt
measures" immediately.
Hepatitis C can lead to chronic liver infection and cirrhosis. About
1 percent to 5 percent of people with the disease eventually dies from
long-term infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Fake or tainted drugs have killed dozens in China in recent years
and sparked public fury about drug safety. Chinese media have blamed
frequent scandals on businesses chasing profits and lax official
supervision.
The Health News, a newspaper run by China's Health Ministry, quoted
experts as saying that the plasma used to make the immunoglobulin drug
might have contained either the hepatitis C virus or its antibodies.
It would take two to eight weeks to rule out the chance of hepatitis C
infections for the users, the newspaper said.
The reports did not say how many users had been affected by the drug or how many
samples of the drug were problematic.
Guangdong health authorities had seized 21,470 problematic samples
and authorities in western Sichuan province had returned or seized over
1,000 bottles of the drug, the Beijing News said on Wednesday.
Last October, the drug watchdog banned a company in eastern Anhui
province from producing injected antibiotics to treat bacterial
infections after the drug was linked to the deaths of six people.
In July, China fined another drug company in the northeastern
province of Heilongjiang after its drug meant to treat gastric
disorders killed 11 people.
---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

HCV Clinical Practice: Few Referred for Treatment, Even Fewer Respond
Camilla S. Graham, MD, MPHAIDS Clin Care. 2006; ©2006 Massachusetts Medical
Society
Posted 02/07/2007
In a large urban HIV clinic, fewer than 1% of coinfected individuals were
successfully treated for HCV.
SummaryIndividuals
with HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection experience accelerated
progression to severe liver disease. Although these patients may
benefit from prompt HCV treatment, few receive it. To determine why,
researchers reviewed data from 845 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients who had
received HIV care at a Baltimore clinic at least twice in 2 consecutive
years from mid-1998 through 2003 (median age, 40; 63% men; 85% African
American).
A total of 277 patients (33%) were referred for HCV
care in the on-site viral hepatitis clinic, but only 185 completed at
least one visit there. Of these 185 patients, 125 (68%) completed an
evaluation for HCV treatment eligibility: 56 (45%) were ineligible
because of undetectable HCV RNA levels, end-stage liver disease, less
than 2 years life expectancy, severe psychiatric disease, or drug and
alcohol use that precluded treatment adherence (drug and alcohol use
were not automatic exclusion criteria). Of the patients eligible for
treatment, 40 refused or deferred because of the mildness of their
liver disease. Treatment was started in 29 people, and sustained
virologic response (SVR) was attained in 6 (3 of 3 with HCV genotype 2
or 3, and 3 of 26 with genotype 1). Overall, SVR was achieved in fewer
than 1% of all coinfected patients receiving regular HIV care.
Compared
with patients who were never referred to the viral hepatitis clinic,
those that were referred were more likely to have well-controlled HIV
disease (i.e., to be on antiretroviral therapy, have undetectable viral
loads, or CD4 counts
likely to be in active psychiatric care and to have higher alanine
aminotransferase and bilirubin levels, as well as lower albumin levels.
During the study period, patient referrals increased, but so did the
proportion of patients who failed to attend their HCV clinic
appointments. Patients who were referred in the later years of the
study (versus earlier) had lower CD4-cell counts, were less likely to
be on antiretroviral therapy, and were more likely to have injected
drugs recently.
CommentA major barrier to treatment in
this cohort was lack of referral for HCV care. How much of this
phenomenon is patient-driven (e.g., by lack of interest in referral or
by clear contraindications for treatment) and how much is due to
provider misconception remains to be determined. Well-controlled HIV
disease might be a marker of a patients ability to adhere to anti-HCV
treatment, but it has not been shown to predict SVR (N Engl J Med
2004; 351:438). Likewise, providers might recognize the need for HCV
treatment in patients who have high liver transaminase levels or
obvious hepatic synthetic dysfunction, but they might not realize that
people with normal liver enzyme levels can still have severe fibrosis
and that once people have hepatic decompensation, they cannot be
treated with interferon-based therapy. Ultimately, this
difficult-to-treat population is in need of more-effective and
better-tolerated treatments for HCV infection.
ReferencesMehta SH et al. Limited effectiveness of antiviral treatment for
hepatitis C in an urban HIV clinic. AIDS 2006 Nov 28; 20:2361-9.
Camilla S. Graham, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in Infectious Disease at
Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

HUMOR
Two men met at a bus stop and struck up a
conversation. One of them complained of family problems.
Finally, the other man said, "You think you have
family problems? Listen. A few years ago I met a young widow with a grown-up
daughter, and we got married. Later my father married my stepdaughter. That made
my stepdaughter my stepmother and my father became my stepson. Also, my wife
became mother-in-law of her father-in-law.
"Then the daughter of my wife, my stepmother, had a
son. This boy was my half-brother because he was my father's son, but he was
also the son of my wife's daughter, which made him my wife's grandson. That made
me the grandfather of my half-brother.
"This was nothing until my wife and I had a son. Now
the half-sister of my son, my stepmother, is also the grandmother. This makes my
father the brother-in-law of my child, whose stepsister is my father's wife. I'm
my stepmother's brother-in-law, my wife is her own child's aunt, my son is my
father's nephew and I'm my own grandfather! And you think you have family
problems!"
..Life Support by way of Chapnotes (ChapnotesMail@...)
and Christian Voices (CVWorldwide@...)
(www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)
<
<
THOUGHT PROVOKING
INSPIRATIONAL
A SPECIAL KIND OF
LOVE
I had a lot of hatred in my life. It wasn't something
outwardly manifested, but there was a kind of inward grinding. I was disgusted
with people, with things, with issues. Like so many other people, I was
insecure. Every time I met someone different from me, he became a threat to
me.
But I hated one man more than anyone else in the
world. My father. I hated his guts.
To me he was the town alcoholic.
If you're from a small town and one of your
parents is an alcoholic, you know what I'm talking about. Everybody knows. My
friends would come to high school and
make jokes about my father being downtown. They didn't think it bothered
me. I was like other people,
laughing on the outside, but let me tell you, I was crying on the inside. I'd
go out in the barn and see mother
beaten so badly she couldn't get up, lying in the manure behind the
cows.
When we had friends over, I would take my father out,
tie him up in the barn, and park the car up around the silo. We would tell our
friends he'd had to go somewhere. I don't think anyone could have hated anyone
more than I hated my father.
After I made my decision for Christ -- maybe five
months later -- a love from God through Jesus Christ entered my life and was so
strong it took that hatred and turned it upside down. I was able to look my
father squarely in
the eyes and say, "Dad, I love you." And I really meant it. After some of the
things I'd done, that shook him up.
When I transferred to a private university I was in a
serious car accident. My neck in traction, I was taken home. I'll never forget
my father coming into my room. He asked me, "Son, how can you love a father like
me?" I said, "Dad, six months ago I despised you." Then I shared with him my
conclusion about Jesus Christ: "Dad, I let Christ come into my life. I can't
explain it completely but as a result of that relationship I've found the
capacity to love and accept not only you, but other people just the way they
are."
Forty-five minutes later, one of the greatest thrills
of my life occurred. Somebody in my own family, someone who knew me so well I
couldn't pull the wool over his eyes, said to me, "Son, if God can do in my life
what I've seen Him do in yours, then I want to give Him the opportunity." Right
there my father prayed with me and trusted Christ.
.. By Josh Mcdowell as posted in
"The Daily Encourager", by David Langerfeld (The_Daily_Encourager@...)
by way of Christian Voices (CVWorldwide@...)
(www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)
<
<
Many in
One
For to us a child is born, to us a
son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
My husbands family lives in a small town in north
Florida , a few
hours away. At a visit last year my sister-in-law took me along to run an errand
one morning. The destination - a house on the edge of town, just off the
highway. It was old, with peeling, faded paint. Once the shutters
had been red, and maybe even functioned. The uneven boards on the front
porch sloped, making the whole house seem crooked. But inside, oh my!
A delightful series of rooms with the most interesting items.
The front room was laden with a wonderful mixture.
An antique desk piled with paperwork, which advertised a Notary.
Orders, notes, and numbers tacked to the walls. Family photos. I spotted a
round wire basket full of
chirping crickets. The containers top somehow amazingly kept the insects from
jumping out, even though there was no lid.
The owner had been working in one of the two
back rooms. Rolls of ribbon were visible hanging on the shelves by
the vases and containers. A rusty coca-cola refrigerated case kept flowers
and greenery fresh. The adjacent front room had a tiny table, couple of
chairs, small TV, and a cute itty bitty dog who was closely watching
me.
This was just one house, yet it had many components:
a flower shop, bait shop, a notary, and possibly living quarters. Sort of
the way a lot of different people comprise one family. Sort of the way a
little baby was prophesied to be many different things in One
person.
God is able, and willing, to meet us at our every
point of need. He is our provider, protector, comforter, saviour, redeemer, and
friend. Many in one. Thats good news, and something to really give
thanks for!
..Sally Ireland Kennedy (http://www.sallyikennedy.com)
(sallyikennedy@...)
by way of Christian Voices (CVWorldwide@...)
(www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)
Sally is the author of 52 Little Parables from Ireland, Words from the Heart,
and Irish Thursdays. She lives in south
Florida , with her
husband, Ben.
<
<
INVITATION
Everyone needs to know of
God's love for us. Even those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as
their Lord and Savior need assurance from time to time of God's love,
particularly in times of personal strife and stress.
Please accept this
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Blessings!
Bob
- Founder and Publisher of "Christian Voices"
<
<
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<
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================================================================================
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This issue of the "Christian Voices" is distributed by hundred-acre-woods.com
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---------...and the beat goes on......." Sonny Bono.....I will say of the L-rd,
He is my refuge andmy fortress: my G-d; in Him will I trust.Psalm

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/550635
REUTERS HEALTH INFORMATION
Endothelial Dysfunction May Underlie Interferon-Related Retinopathy
Reuters Health Information 2007. © 2007 Reuters Ltd.
Republication
or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar
means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of
Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the
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Reuters group of companies around the world.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 10 - The
retinopathy that may develop rapidly with high-dose interferon
treatment may be caused by impaired vascular function in the retinal