Engerix-B Hepatitis B Vaccine

Hepatitis B & D: Partners in Liver Damage

Don Hackett — Sun, 22 Dec 2019 13:25:12 +0000

Reviewer:

A new study published by a team of Canadian researchers adds insights into how 2 types of hepatitis work together to negatively impact a human’s liver.

Located in Montreal, Canada, at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Professor Patrick Labonté and the team say they ‘have identified the role of a key process in the replication cycle of the hepatitis D virus.’

This is important news since the hepatitis D virus (HDV), also known as delta hepatitis, affects 15 to 20 million people worldwide.

To cause liver damage, HDV has a specific target. it infects only people carrying the hepatitis B virus (HBV).

As with other co-infections, the combination of hepatitis B and D causes more liver damage than hepatitis B alone.

"HDV needs HBV to survive, it's like a parasite," says researcher Patrick Labonté, in a related press release published on December 19, 2019.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 5 percent of people with chronic HBV infection are also infected with HDV. And, HBV-HDV co-infection is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis because it progresses very quickly and can even be fatal.

“However, cure rates are low because treatments for hepatitis B are ineffective against HDV. It may seem contradictory since the virus cannot survive on its own.”

"In fact, drugs target a specific enzyme to control hepatitis B, but treatment does not completely eliminate the virus. The VHD survives normally and can continue its damage,” said Professor Labonte.

The challenge for Professor Labonté and his research team is thus to find a treatment that will fight both viruses and it seems they are on the right track.

In a study published in the Journal of Virology on November 20, 2019, the research team showed that VHD was exploiting the same cellular protein as HBV, called ATG5, to promote its development, particularly its replication in the nucleus of the host cell.

This protein is essential for what is called autophagy; a process that is used for cleaning cellular waste. In theory, autophagy should be able to destroy invaders, but most viruses, such as hepatitis C or influenza, have evolved to avoid this degradation and even use autophagy to their advantage.

"Several studies have looked at the role of autophagy in viruses, but it varies from one virus to another depending on its replication process. We are the first to determine the effect of the process on the hepatitis D virus," says Professor Labonté.

He was not surprised that ATG5 protein benefits these two hepatitis viruses since they are closely linked.

With this common protein, the autophagic process could be a solution since it is essential to the life cycle of these viruses.

However, the situation is not that simple.

"If we block autophagy, then we are blocking an important function for all cells in the body. We do not know what the long-term effects might be. Autophagy should be inhibited in a targeted and temporary manner," warns Professor Labonte.”

"Hepatitis B virus alone can cause cirrhosis or liver cancer. When combined with the hepatitis D virus, the development of these diseases happens more frequently and more rapidly," he says.

In the course of this research, Professor Labonté;'s team made an interesting discovery: some autophagy proteins travel outside their usual area.

"Autophagy usually occurs in the cell's cytoplasm, but the process contributes to the replication of the HDV genome which takes place in the nucleus. Are there any autophagic proteins present in the nucleus in the case of an infection,” wondered the researcher.

This is an area that the team is currently studying and will hopefully provide a more in-depth understanding of the role of autophagy in HDV.

Hepatitis D is transmitted to humans through percutaneous or mucosal contact with infectious blood and can be acquired either as a coinfection with HBV or as a superinfection in people with HBV infection, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There is not a CDC approved a vaccine for hepatitis D, but it can be prevented in people who are not already HBV-infected, by hepatitis B vaccination.

Recent hepatitis vaccine news

In the USA, there are 3 single-antigen vaccines and 2 combination HBV vaccines available:

Single-antigen hepatitis B vaccines: ENGERIX-B, RECOMBIVAX HB, and HEPLISAV-B

HBV combination vaccines include PEDIARIX and TWINRIX.

This research was supported by funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

The Institut national de la recherche Scientifique is the only institution in Québec dedicated exclusively to graduate-level university research and training.

Hepatitis vaccine news published by Precision Vaccinations

Sub Title:

ATG5 protein benefits both hepatitis B and D viruses to utilize the autophagy machinery to assist at different steps of their lifecycle

References:

HDV alters the autophagy process to promote its genome replication

Hepatitis D: Mystery of the Life Cycle of the Solved Virus

Host Cell Rab GTPases in Hepatitis B Virus Infection

CDC: What is Viral Hepatitis?

Image:

Age Groups:

Google News Keywords:

health, vaccines, vaccinations, hepatitis, hepatitis b and d, hep b and d, hvd

GoodRx Vaccine:

Engerix-B

Featured:

Liver Cancer Patients Can Benefit From Hep C Medications

Don Hackett — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 16:46:25 +0000

Reviewer:

Robert Carlson, MD

Danielle Reiter, RN

A large clinical study conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSWMED) refutes previous suggestions that Hepatitis C antiviral medications may lead to a higher recurrence of liver cancer.

This UTSWMED study, published in the journal Gastroenterology, found 42 percent of liver cancer survivors who were treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) experienced a recurrence of their liver cancer, compared with 59 percent of patients who were not treated with antivirals.

Additionally, this UTSWMED study found no difference in the aggressiveness of the cancer in those patients who did experience a recurrence.

Dr. Amit Singal, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of the Liver Tumor Program, said in a press release, “Based on these new data, providers can feel reassured that it is safe to treat hepatitis C in these patients and allow them to receive the known benefits of hepatitis C therapy.”

Effective antiviral medications have been available to treat hepatitis C infection in the USA since 2013.

This news is important since approximately 3.2 million individuals in the USA have chronic hepatitis C infection, which is also one of the leading causes of liver cancer.

And, many of these individuals struggle with inflammation of the liver and impaired liver function, as well as cirrhosis, or scarring of liver tissue.

The rate of new cases of liver cancer has been rising steadily in recent decades, and the state of Texas has one of the highest rates of occurrence in the country.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), half of all individuals with liver cancer have underlying chronic hepatitis C infection.

When liver cancer is diagnosed early, it can be effectively treated with surgery, ablation, or radiation therapy.

Sometimes liver cancer patients have their tumor successfully removed, but the underlying chronic hepatitis C infection remains and continues to impair liver function further.

To lower your risk for liver cancer, get vaccinated against Hepatitis B, says the CDC.

The hepatitis B virus vaccination is usually given as a series of 3 shots over 6 months. The entire series of shots are needed for long-term protection.

Hepatitis B vaccines include ENGERIX-B, Recombivax HB, and HEPLISAV-B.

“Our results suggest that use of DAA therapies is safe and potentially beneficial in hepatitis C-infected patients with a history of liver cancer,” said Dr. Singal.

Funding for this study was provided by the National Cancer Institute and AbbVie Inc.

Dr. Singal has served on advisory boards and has received funding from Gilead and AbbVie. He has previously participated in a speakers’ bureau for Gilead. Other disclosures unrelated to this research appear in Gastroenterology.

UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education.

Sub Title:

DAA therapy was not associated with increased overall or early hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence

References:

Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy not Associated with Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Multicenter North American Study

Hepatitis B Vaccine Saves Lives

Image:

Age Groups:

Google News Keywords:

health, vaccines, vaccinations, cancer, liver, hepatitis b, hepatitis c, liver cancer

GoodRx Vaccine:

Engerix-B

Featured:

Canada Should Refocus Vaccination Resources to Eliminate Hepatitis B

Don Hackett — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 14:14:56 +0000

Reviewer:

Robert Carlson, MD

Danielle Reiter, RN

A recent editorial from a leading hepatitis researcher, Dr. Harry Janssen, discussed how Canada should recommit its resources to better protect young people from this liver disease.

Dr. Janssen said in a press release, “Since all children across Canada will eventually be offered vaccination regardless of where they live, why don’t we just remove this lottery and routinely vaccinate them all from birth?”

“It is time we offered all children in Canada protection from hepatitis B from the moment they are born.”

In Canada, around 230,000 people are currently infected with hepatitis B, which is a serious liver infection.

In 2016, Canada was one of 194 nations globally to sign up to World Health Organization (WHO) targets to eliminate the disease by 2030. These targets require 90 percent of children to have received the three doses of hepatitis B vaccination by 2030.

The WHO recommends that all infants should receive their first dose of vaccine as soon as possible after birth, preferably within 24 hours.

The WHO targets also entail a 90 percent reduction in mother-to-child transmission of the hepatitis virus.

Right now, most Canadian provinces vaccinate children when they are much older, with some provinces such as Ontario and Nova Scotia, leaving it as late as 12 years old.

Sexual activity is one of the ways hepatitis B can be transmitted. This has led to the misconception that we only need to offer older children vaccination, in the years before they become sexually active.

However, all babies and young children face other risks of blood to blood transmission – from the moment they are born. Hepatitis B can be transmitted at home, at school playing together with other children and in many other places.

Another problem is that in Canada we only vaccinate children at birth when we know the mother has hepatitis B – in order to prevent transmission at birth.

This adds a lot of complexity to the system and is prone to errors. If the systems fails, children will be unnecessarily infected with this terrible virus at birth.

Hepatitis B also hits babies and young children much harder than adults. More than 90 percent of those infected will develop a chronic hepatitis B infection. And chronic infections can, if left untreated, cause progression to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death.

While the risk of this progression is highest when infected under the age of 1, up to 50 percent of young children between 1 and 5 years who are infected will develop a chronic hepatitis B infection.

For anyone over 18, this risk is reduced to five to 10 percent of those infected.

Yet Canada’s hepatitis B vaccination policy varies widely between provinces and territories.

Most of the provinces with large populations vaccinate children when they are long past infancy: Manitoba at age 9 years, Alberta at 10 years, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador at age 11, and Ontario and Nova Scotia at 12.

British Columbia introduced vaccination for very young infants from age 2 months in 2001. Quebec did the same in 2013, although the province still vaccinates older children at 9 years who are not covered by their new program.

Prince Edward Island and the Yukon also vaccinate young children from age 2 months, but it is only in New Brunswick, and the sparsely populated Nunavut and Northwest Territories, that all children are offered vaccination at birth.

The best way to ensure that they are all vaccinated and none slip through the system is to vaccinate children at birth. After the first dose, the two follow-up vaccinations can be combined with other routine vaccines given in the first year.

And this protection will usually last a lifetime.

At the moment, hepatitis B virus infection is treatable and suppressable with drugs.

This is why we appeal to provincial and territorial governments across Canada to vaccinate all children from birth – to prevent any of them from contracting this terrible virus.

Harry Janssen is a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.

Sub Title:

Hepatitis B vaccinations are most effective when delivered early in life

References:

Why all Canadian infants need a hepatitis B vaccination: U of T expert

Foreign-Born Women of Reproductive Age Lack Hep B Vaccinations

Heplisav-B Vaccine is Now Recommended for Adults

Image:

Age Groups:

Google News Keywords:

health, vaccines, vaccinations, hep B, liver disease, liver cancer, cancer

GoodRx Vaccine:

Engerix-B

Featured:

Hepatitis B In Bangladesh Uncontrolled

Don Hackett — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:09:27 +0000

Reviewer:

Robert Carlson, MD

Danielle Reiter, RN

Most of the 10 million people in Bangladesh carrying the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) do not know they have the infection.

Although donor screening prior to blood transfusion is completed every time, the quality control process is unable to prevent viral Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections.

Health experts said the primary HBV test often yields false negatives results.

“About 4-7% of the population is HBV infected, and 3.5% of pregnant women have the virus,” reported Dr. Mohammad Ali, secretary general of National Liver Foundation of Bangladesh.

According to the National Liver Foundation in Bangladesh, about 60-70% of the infected individuals are not aware of the existence of HBV in their body.

“This mostly happens due to lack of awareness and failure of blood test screening,” Dr. Ali added.

Bangladesh Institute of Child Health (BICH) published research July, 2017 which found that of the 100 children up to the age of 15 who were admitted to the Dhaka Shishu Hospital with acute viral hepatitis in 2016, four had acute HBV infection.

Additionally, 90% of infected infants become chronically infected, compared with 2%–6% of adults.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes this lack of awareness and poor access to diagnostic tests means 95% of the 400 million people who live with Hepatitis may not know they are infected.

A joint study by the WHO, the Directorate General of Health Services, and the Institute of Epidemiology, Diseases Control and Research (IEDCR) found that one third of the blood tests taken at blood transfusion centres across Bangladesh were incorrect when compared with the results obtained at IEDCR.

According to the WHO, people become infected with Hepatitis B by receiving unsafe blood, typically through a blood transfusion. The primary test for the virus is the HBsAg test, but it can yield false negatives.

WHO recommends the mandatory screening of all blood donations for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and syphilis according to the quality system requirements.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.

Transmission of hepatitis B virus from mother to infant during the perinatal period represents one of the most efficient modes of HBV infection and often leads to severe long-term consequences.

The WHO reports that infants born to mothers positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg) have a 70%-90% chance of acquiring perinatal HBV infection and 85%-90% of infected infants will become chronic HBV carriers.

It has been estimated that more than 25% of these HVB carriers will die from primary liver cell carcinoma or cirrhosis of the liver.

The Hepatitis B vaccine is made from parts of the hepatitis B virus. It cannot cause hepatitis B infection. The vaccine is usually given as 3 or 4 shots over a 6-month period.

The HBV vaccine is recommended for extended stay travelers, and is reported to be over 90% effective. The current CDC vaccine price list for HBV vaccines can be found here.

Sub Title:

Blood tests taken at blood transfusion centres across Bangladesh were 33% incorrect

References:

Why 10 million Bangladeshis have Hepatitis B

Ahead of World Day, UN agency says fight against hepatitis 'gaining momentum'

#NOhep global movement to support WHO hepatitis strategy

Viral Hepatitis

National Liver Foundation of Bangladesh

Directorate General of Health Services

Image:

Age Groups:

GoodRx Vaccine:

Single-dose HepB Infant Re-Vaccination Recommendation

Don Hackett — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Reviewer:

Robert Carlson, MD

Danielle Reiter, RN

Kelley Lu, PharmD

At its February 2017 meeting, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to approve revised language for its recommendation on re-vaccinating unprotected infants who are born to HBsAg-positive mothers, with hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine.

The ACIP’s amended revised language reads:

HBsAg-negative infants with antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) less than 10 mIU/mL should be revaccinated with a single dose of HepB vaccine and receive post-vaccination serologic testing (PVST) one to two months later. Infants whose anti-HBs remains less than 10 mIU/mL following single-dose revaccination should receive two additional doses of HepB vaccine, followed by PVST 1 - 2 months after the last dose.
Based on clinical circumstances or family preferences, HBsAg-negative infants with anti-HBs less than 10mIU/mL may instead be revaccinated with a second complete three-dose series, followed by PVST performed 1-2 months after the final dose of the vaccine.
Available data do not suggest a benefit from administering additional HepB vaccine doses to infants who have not attained anti-HBs greater than or equal to 10mIU/mL following receipt of 2 complete three-dose HepB vaccine series.

According to health experts, the ACIP is focused on minimizing vaccine exposure in children and reducing the time frame when a child is released from case management

Margot Savoy, M.D., M.P.H., told AAFP News, "Ideally, the ACIP's recommendation is to use the least number of shots possible to get the best coverage for the child. If the infant's serologic test is still negative and they're covered by the hepatitis B vaccine, you are done. If you are worried the child is a nonresponder at the end of their serologic testing, you can re-immunize with the three doses, which you would do anyway."

Dr. Savoy added, "if a family wanted to do the full course of six doses, that's still acceptable, but is no longer the default option.”

Transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from mother to infant during the perinatal period represents one of the most efficient modes of HBV infection and often leads to severe long-term consequences.

Infants born to mothers positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg) have a 70%-90% chance of acquiring perinatal HBV infection and 85%-90% of infected infants will become chronic HBV carriers.

It has been estimated that more than 25% of these carriers will die from primary liver cell carcinoma or cirrhosis of the liver.

The current CDC vaccine price list can be found here.

No conflicts of interest were disclosed by the ACIP.

Sub Title:

ACIP voted to approve a single-dose revaccination of unprotected infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers

References:

ACIP Offers Revised, Single-dose HepB Infant Revaccination Option

MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES (ACIP)

Hepatitis B

Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee Prevention of Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus: Pren

Image:

Age Groups: