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

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

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.2 s.57
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• pp.267-278
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence rate of hepatitis B in the military service and to examine the effect of the asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAG) carries on the incidence of hepatitis B. The subject were 223,270 men who were conscripted to the Korean Army from 1991 to 1994. According to the conscripted year, four conscription cohort were constructed. At the screening examination for military service no test for hepatitis B were performed in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, a screening test for hepatitis B were performed and those who were confirmed as HBsAg positive o. showed high titers $(\geqq100IU)$ of nm glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(SGPT) were excluded from conscription. In 1994, the criteria for conscription was changed and those who were HBsAg positive were not excluded from conscription. Only those who showed $\geq$ SGPT 100IU were excluded. The main results were as follows ; 1. The positive rate of HBsAg is 5.5% in the conscripted men. 2. The incidence rates of the hepatitis B in 1991 and 1992 conscription cohort were 9.96 and 8.10 per ten thousand person-year, respectively. The incidence rate of the hepatitis B was 1.34 per ten thousand person-year in 1993 conscription cohort which was confirmed as HBsAg negative at the screning test, and 7.41 per ten thousand person-year in 1994 conscription cohort which included the HBsAg positive. 3. The incidence rate of hepatitis B was 99.98 per ten thousand person-year in HBsAg positive group and 2.25 per ten thousand person-year in HBsAg negative group. The incidence rate of the group with high SGPT and HBsAg positive was 255 times higher than that of normal population. 4. The incidence of hepatitis B in HBsAg negative group did not increase even though the probability of personal contact with HBsAg positive had been increased. from the above results, the men who have high SGPT with HBsAg positive should be excluded from military service, and it can not be said that asymptomatic HBsAg carriers influence on the hepatitis B incidence among the HBsAg negative through personal contact.

• Laboratory Medicine and Quality Assurance
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.51-69
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• 2018

As part of the immunoserology program of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service, we organized two trials on the external quality assessment of hepatitis viral markers in 2016 and 2017. The hepatitis viral antigens and antibodies program consisted of 10 test items. We delivered two and three types of pooled sera specimens to 965 and 965 institutions for the first and second trials of external proficiency testing in 2016, respectively. The number of participating laboratories was 915 (94.8%) and 913 (95.0%) in the first and second trials in 2016, respectively. We also delivered three kinds of pooled sera specimens to 936 and 1,015 institutions for the first and second trials of external proficiency testing in 2017, respectively. The number of participating laboratories was 920 (98.3%) and 996 (98.1%) in the first and second trials in 2017, respectively. The most commonly tested items were hepatitis B surface antigen, followed by the antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B envelope antigen, antibodies to hepatitis B envelope antigen, anti-hepatitis A virus and antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen. The most frequently used methods for detecting viral markers were the chemiluminescence immunoassay and the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, but they yielded a few-false positive results due to the matrix effect. The immunochromatographic assay yielded false-negative results for anti-hepatitis A virus due to low sensitivity. Continuous improvement in the quality of viral hepatitis testing through participation in the survey seems necessary.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.257-271
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• 2017

Purpose: The hepatitis B virus is a major cause of chronic liver disease. The clinical guidelines recommend that inactive chronic hepatitis (ICH) patients also check their liver function every 6 to 12 months and manage the potential risks. This study compared the hepatitis B knowledge, self-care practice, and quality of life in patients with HBV according to the disease activity. Methods: This study was conducted in a university hospital and surveyed on 65 ICH patients and 68 progressive chronic liver disease (PCLD) patients from November in 2012 to September in 2013. Results: The knowledge of hepatitis B was lower in the group of a lately perceived HBV infection and ICH. Self-care practice was lower in the male and the patients group with a perceived HBV infection within 5 years. The "taking regular liver function test" score was lower in the ICH. Eight out of 12 Liver Disease Quality of Life instrument (LDQOL) subscales were lower in PCLD. Conclusion: The hepatitis B knowledge and self-care practice are relatively lacking in ICH and the patients group with a perceived HBV infection within 5 years. More effective education programs will be necessary to enhance the hepatitis B knowledge and self-care for patients with HBV and even for ICH.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.159-163
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• 2013

To investigate the cognitive degree about hepatitis and hepatosis, 916 subjects are examined with query and hepatotitis B, C, E test as well as s-AST and s-ALT as liver function test. Based on results, there are 4.9% of positive hepatitis and 8.9% of hepatosis and 13.8% of liver disorder. Among positive hepatitis, there are 93.3% of type B, 42.2% of type E and 6.7% of type C, respectively. From 45% of positive hepatitis B, they carry hepatitis B and E together. The cognitive degree about positive hepatitis is 64.4%, hepatosis 8.6%. The knowledge degree from cognitive group is higher than that of noncognitive group but there is no difference from hepatosis between two groups (p<0.001). The cognitive degree of liver disorder depends on academic background (p<0.001), mother's academic background (p<0.001), job (p<0.05) and family's income (p<0.001), showing significant difference. In summary, hepatitis carrier aware quite well about liver disorder but very low from hepatosis. Accordingly, the plan to increase a cognitive degree and continuous education as well as policy support to minimize spread of disease and to protect not to be worsen disease will be needed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2009

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection causes fulminant hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of HDV pathogenesis, we examined the effects of HDV viral proteins, the small hepatitis delta antigen (SHDAg) and the large hepatitis delta antigen (LHDAg), on $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway. In this study, we demonstrated that $TNF-{\alpha}-induced$ $NF-{\kappa}B$ transcriptional activation was increased by LHDAg but not by SHDAg in both HEK293 and Huh7 cells. Furthermore, LHDAg promoted TRAF2-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation. Using coimmunoprecipitation assays, we demonstrated that both SHDAg and LHDAg interacted with TRAF2 protein. We showed that isoprenylation of LHDAg was not required for the increase of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity. We further showed that only LHDAg but not SHDAg increased the $TNF-{\alpha}-mediated$ nuclear translocation of p65. This was accomplished by activation of $I{\kappa}B_{\alpha}$ degradation by LHDAg. Finally, we demonstrated that LHDAg augmented the COX-2 expression level in Huh7 cells. These data suggest that LHDAg modulates $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathway and may contribute to HDV pathogenesis.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2012

This study used the health belief model of college students to investigate the not with regards to their health status awareness, health management, and their health beliefs. Logistic regression analysis showed a significantly high odds ratio between intent of hepatitis B vaccination and gender, The trend for receiving a hepatitis B vaccination was highest in groups with awareness of the high susceptibility and seriousness of hepatitis B, groups with awareness of the low barrier, and women as opposed to men. Therefore future research is needed regarding appropriate promotions of the seriousness and benefits of hepatitis B vaccinations as well as the development of a integrated health education mediation program and effect evaluation.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.314-320
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data on hepatitis B infection control in the community through the results of the hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody tests conducted at the Cheongyang-County Health Medical Center. From 2012 to 2020, we retrospectively analyzed the HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBV DNA results of 7,329 hepatitis B-related testers. Among 7,329 subjects, the HBsAg positivity rate was 1.7%, and the positivity rate according to age was the highest at 4.4% in their 30s, 4.2% in their 40s, 4.1% in their 50s, 2.0% in their 60s, 1.9% in their 70s and over, and 10 it was shown in the order of 0.3% from less than large. The HBsAb positivity rate was 43.1% for men, 38.2% for men, and 46.7% for women (P<0.001). To summarize the above results, for infection control of hepatitis B in Cheongyang-County, hepatitis surface antigen proton management is required for those in their 30s or older, and it is thought that efforts to acquire immunity are necessary for those in their 20s or younger.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2002

Hepatitis B viral infection which affect about 10% of Korean population manifests asymptomatic carrier, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis and even associates with hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinical manifestations induced by hepatitis B virus vary depending on the degree of immune response by cytotoxic T cells against viral epitope-presenting liver cells. Since hepatitis B virus presents high rate of mutaton that might change the presented epitope and eventually alter immune response, viral mutations, especially in promoters and enhancers, have an important implication in hepatic inflammation and viral replication. To identify mutations related to the hepatic inflammation, we investigated sequence variations of hepatitis B viral promotor regions in the presence or absence of symptoms in hepatitis B carriers. For this, sera from persistently hepatitis B virus-infected mother-child pairs were collected. After PCR amplifiation of all hepatitis B viral promoters (C promoter, S1 promoter, S2/S promoter, X promoter) using serum DNA from each pair, viral promotors were sequenced by automatic sequencer and then sequence data were analyzed by ClustalW. In most cases, the dominant type of maternal virus was transmitted to the child. However, in some children, some new host specific viral variants could be observed in Cp, S1p and S2/Sp. The mutations in C promoter did not seem to be vertically transmitted but arose in new host independently after the wild type had been transmitted. Enhancer I containing X promoter revealed high host specific variations as has been reported before. Two S promoters, S1p and S2/Sp, have shown some point mutations in children, but no deletion mutations were detected as in chronic hepatitis patients in whom deletion mutations are frequently found. In conclusion, the children with the vertically transmitted hepatitis B virus mostly retain the dominant type virus that had been transmitted. However, host specific variants tended to accumulate over time, possibly as clinical symptoms develop.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2013

Viral hepatitis is the inflammation of liver cells caused by viruses, and still one of the major health-care problems worldwide. A number of viruses to cause hepatitis are type A, B, C, D, E or G. Among these viruses leading to hepatitis, B and C are more troublesome being more prone to chronic illness which can cause the potentially fatal conditions of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and/or liver failure. If immediate treatment is not initiated, liver transplant is the only option left. Over the past few decades there has been remarkable progress in diagnose and monitor all hepatitis virus infections for treatment and prevention. Nonetheless, important challenges remain to develop more effective and safe vaccines for prevention as well as antiviral agents to reduce viremia/viral load by inhibiting viral replication. The development and evaluation of antiviral agents through carefully designed clinical trials over the last 25 years has heralded a new dawn in the treatment of patients chronically infected with the hepatitis B and C viruses, but not so for the D virus. The introduction of Direct Acting Antivirals (DDAs) for the treatment of HBV carriers has permitted the long term use of these compounds for the continuous suppression of viral replication. This review aims to summarize the current status and development approaches of antiviral drugs for the treatment of viral hepatitis and future perspectives.