Viral Hepatitis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Hepatitis Virus Vaccines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 4198

Special Issue Editor

Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
Interests: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Epigenetics; Retrotransposons

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As we know, ‘viral hepatitis’ is a broad term to describe liver damage due to hepatitis virus (A, B, C, D and E) infection. While hepatitis A and E viruses cause acute hepatitis; hepatitis B, C and D viruses can cause both acute and chronic infections. Chronic hepatitis can lead to complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infections are leading cause of HCC worldwide. According to world health organisation (WHO) statistics, 500 million people are estimated to be infected with HBV or HCV worldwide. These viruses kill 1.5 million people a year; 1 in every 3 people has been exposed to either or both viruses and most infected people do not know about it due to dormant symptoms.

A safe and effective vaccine against HBV is now available and universal vaccination programs are being run aiming to eliminate HBV-related viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. There is no vaccine for HCV however, a major advance in the liver field in last 5 years has been the introduction of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) targeting HCV infection.  Although these agents are costly, it is now clear that the majority of patients can be cured of HCV infection thus reducing further complications and associated death rates. What is also increasingly clear, however, is that while this reduces HCC risk in infected individuals, the risk is not eliminated – in either the global population treated with antivirals, or in those with HCV receiving curative treatments for HCC. Why this risk persists is not presently known.

HCC is a stepwise process and involves a combination of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Hence, in this special issue I invite you to submit original articles, case reports or review articles to advance our existing knowledgebase regarding (i) viral hepatitis prevention or treatment, (ii) screening of chronic hepatitis patients to assess HCC development, (iii) molecular pathogenesis of viral hepatitis-related HCC development and (iv) novel treatment strategies for viral hepatitis-related HCC.

Dr. Ruchi Shukla
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Viral Hepatitis
  • Liver Cancer
  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma
  • HCC Risk
  • Cancer Prevention

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 404 KiB  
Article
A Study of Hepatitis A Seroprevalence in a Paediatric and Adolescent Population of the Province of Florence (Italy) in the Period 2017–2018 Confirms Tuscany a Low Endemic Area
by Beatrice Zanella, Sara Boccalini, Massimiliano Alberto Biamonte, Duccio Giorgetti, Marco Menicacci, Benedetta Bonito, Alessandra Ninci, Emilia Tiscione, Francesco Puggelli, Giovanna Mereu, Working Group DHS, Working Group AOUMeyer, Working Group AUSLTC, Paolo Bonanni and Angela Bechini
Vaccines 2021, 9(10), 1194; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9101194 - 17 Oct 2021
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Abstract
Background: Italy is considered an area with very low HAV (hepatitis A virus) endemicity. Currently in Italy the anti-HAV vaccine is recommended only for specific risk groups and there is no universal vaccination program. The aim of this study was to assess [...] Read more.
Background: Italy is considered an area with very low HAV (hepatitis A virus) endemicity. Currently in Italy the anti-HAV vaccine is recommended only for specific risk groups and there is no universal vaccination program. The aim of this study was to assess the level of immunity against hepatitis A in a sample of children and adolescents from the province of Florence. Methods: A total of 165 sera were collected from subjects aged 1 to 18 years, proportionally selected according to the general population size and stratified by age and sex. A qualitative evaluation of anti-HAV antibodies was performed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anamnestic and vaccination status data were also collected. Results: Our study showed a hepatitis A seroprevalence of 9.1% in the enrolled population. A statistically significant difference in the prevalence of anti-HAV was found between Italian and non-Italian subjects. About half of the population having anti-HAV antibodies was reported to be vaccinated, and no cases of hepatitis A were found. Conclusions: The data from our study confirmed Tuscany as an area with low HAV endemicity and showed that hepatitis A seroprevalence is significantly higher in foreign children and adolescents. The presence of more seropositive subjects than those vaccinated was probably due to a natural immunization achieved through a subclinical infection and/or to underreporting of the surveillance systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Hepatitis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma)
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8 pages, 589 KiB  
Communication
Association of Polymorphisms in the Glutathione S-Transferase Theta-1 Gene with Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Brazilian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C
by Oscar C. Araujo, Vanessa S. de Paula, Kycia M. do Ó, Cristiane A. Villela-Nogueira and Natalia M. Araujo
Vaccines 2021, 9(8), 831; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9080831 - 29 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1662
Abstract
Oxidative stress contributes to hepatitis C virus (HCV)–induced liver damage. Host genetic factors may be involved in progression of HCV infection. The present study was conducted to determine the influence of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-M1 and T1 gene polymorphisms during different stages of HCV [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress contributes to hepatitis C virus (HCV)–induced liver damage. Host genetic factors may be involved in progression of HCV infection. The present study was conducted to determine the influence of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-M1 and T1 gene polymorphisms during different stages of HCV infection, including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study population comprised 190 patients (47 with chronic hepatitis, 83 with cirrhosis (without HCC), and 60 with HCC). GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms were analyzed via multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The GSTT1-null genotype was more commonly detected in patients with cirrhosis (n = 17; 20.5%) and HCC (n = 13; 21.7%) than those with chronic hepatitis (n = 3; 6.4%). The differences in GSTT1-null genotype frequencies were significant for cirrhosis vs. chronic hepatitis (odds ratio, OR, 3.778 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.045–13.659); p = 0.043) and HCC vs. chronic hepatitis (OR, 4.057 (95% CI, 1.083–15.201); p = 0.038) groups. However, the incidence of individual GSTM1-null or combined GSTM1/GSTT1 double-null genotypes did not vary significantly between the groups. Our collective findings support the utility of the GSTT1-null genotype as a useful biomarker for liver disease progression in Brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Hepatitis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma)
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