Hepatitis A And Other Associated Hepatobiliary Diseases

Hepatitis A is a major health concern throughout the world. Its impact has largely been limited in recent times by the large-scale use of vaccines. It is, however, still rampant in various parts of the world, partly due to lack of medication, poor water access, and contaminated food products. This book provides comprehensive information on various aspects of hepatitis A with a focus on three of the most important biliary diseases: cholestasis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Chapters cover such topics as pathology, epidemiology, at-risk populations, animal research models, and future trends.

The seventh edition of the Canadian Immunization Guide was developed by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), with the support ofthe Immunization and Respiratory Infections Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, to provide updated information and recommendations on the use of vaccines in Canada. The Public Health Agency of Canada conducted a survey in 2004, which confi rmed that the Canadian Immunization Guide is a very useful and reliable resource of information on immunization.

The global epidemic of hepatitis B and C is a serious public health problem. Hepatitis B and C are the major causes of chronic liver disease and liver cancer in the world. In the next 10 years, 150,000 people in the United States will die from liver disease or liver cancer associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Today, between 800,000 and 1.4 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis B and between 2.7 and 3.9 million have chronic hepatitis C. People most at risk for hepatitis B and C often are the least likely to have access to medical services. Reducing the rates of illness and death associated with these diseases will require greater awareness and knowledge among health care workers, improved identification of at-risk people, and improved access to medical care. Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. Although federal public health officials recommend that all newborns, children, and at-risk adults receive the vaccine, about 46,000 new acute cases of the HBV infection emerge each year, including 1,000 in infants who acquire the infection during birth from their HBV-positive mothers. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, which is transmitted by direct exposure to infectious blood. Hepatitis and Liver Cancer identifies missed opportunities related to the prevention and control of HBV and HCV infections. The book presents ways to reduce the numbers of new HBV and HCV infections and the morbidity and mortality related to chronic viral hepatitis. It identifies priorities for research, policy, and action geared toward federal, state, and local public health officials, stakeholder, and advocacy groups and professional organizations.

This book is aimed to emphasize the rationale and importance of prevention and management of viral hepatitis in children, providing cutting edge knowledge. Viral hepatitis is a major health problem in the world. Although most complications of viral hepatitis are observed in adults, primary infection with hepatitis viruses often occurs during infancy or childhood. To better control viral hepatitis, prevention and therapy if possible should be started in childhood. This book offers updated and unique information about viral hepatitis in children, which has vitally important impact on global disease outcome and control, yet not discussed as frequently as viral hepatitis in adults in previous medical literature. Better prevention and management strategies are covered, starting from infancy and childhood, and even earlier during fetal life. It will be very helpful for better control of viral hepatitis both for daily practice and for developing future strategies and directions. If we can successfully control viral hepatitis in children, there will be very little remaining chronic hepatitis and related complications such as liver cirrhosis or hepatoma in adults. We hope readers, including medical students, researchers, pediatricians, family medicine physicians, infectious disease personnel, public health workers, gastroenterologists, hepatologists and parents of children with chronic hepatitis, will be benefited by reading this book.

This book is a comprehensive overview of invited contributions on Helicobacter pylori infection in gastritis and gastric carcinogenesis. The first part of the book covers topics related to the pathophysiology of gastric mucosal defense system and gastritis including the gastroprotective function of the mucus, the capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves and the oxidative stress pathway involved in inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy in H. pylori related gastritis. The next chapters deal with molecular pathogenesis and treatment, which consider the role of neuroendocrine cells in gastric disease, DNA methylation in H. pylori infection, the role of antioxidants and phytotherapy in gastric disease. The final part presents the effects of cancer risk factors associated with H. pylori infection. These chapters discuss the serum pepsinogen test, K-ras mutations, cell kinetics, and H. pylori lipopolysaccharide, as well as the roles of several bacterial genes (cagA, cagT, vacA and dupA) as virulence factors in gastric cancer, and the gastrokine-1 protein in cancer progression.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) currently ranks as the third most common cause of death. As the primary malignancy of the liver is directly related to an underlying liver condition, its incidence and profile are expected to change soon. While effective prevention programs and antiviral therapies for hepatitis B and C will lower the incidence of HCC, emerging socioeconomic issues will deliver new at-risk populations. Moreover, diagnostic techniques and protocols have undergone significant advancements. Reliance on contrast enhanced ultrasound has been re-evaluated, imaging methods being considered as sufficient diagnostic tools. Molecular characterization remains desirable, since chemotherapeutic agents still have limited applicability. In light of recent diagnostic advancements and novel therapeutic solutions, it is our belief that a comprehensive update on recent paradigm shifts and interesting upcoming developments is highly needed.

In 1900, for every 1,000 babies born in the United States, 100 would die before their first birthday, often due to infectious diseases. Today, vaccines exist for many viral and bacterial diseases. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, passed in 1986, was intended to bolster vaccine research and development through the federal coordination of vaccine initiatives and to provide relief to vaccine manufacturers facing financial burdens. The legislation also intended to address concerns about the safety of vaccines by instituting a compensation program, setting up a passive surveillance system for vaccine adverse events, and by providing information to consumers. A key component of the legislation required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collaborate with the Institute of Medicine to assess concerns about the safety of vaccines and potential adverse events, especially in children. Adverse Effects of Vaccines reviews the epidemiological, clinical, and biological evidence regarding adverse health events associated with specific vaccines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), including the varicella zoster vaccine, influenza vaccines, the hepatitis B vaccine, and the human papillomavirus vaccine, among others. For each possible adverse event, the report reviews peer-reviewed primary studies, summarizes their findings, and evaluates the epidemiological, clinical, and biological evidence. It finds that while no vaccine is 100 percent safe, very few adverse events are shown to be caused by vaccines. In addition, the evidence shows that vaccines do not cause several conditions. For example, the MMR vaccine is not associated with autism or childhood diabetes. Also, the DTaP vaccine is not associated with diabetes and the influenza vaccine given as a shot does not exacerbate asthma. Adverse Effects of Vaccines will be of special interest to the National Vaccine Program Office, the VICP, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccine safety researchers and manufacturers, parents, caregivers, and health professionals in the private and public sectors.