A total of 2,574 residents in Yaeyama District of Okinawa, Japan, were investigated using real time ultrasonography to determine the real prevalence of fatty liver in the general population and to define its associated factors. Overall prevalence of fatty liver was 14.0%. Prevalence of fatty liver in persons under 19 years old was only 1.2%, and increased with age to a maximumin persons 40-49 years of age and then decreased. For persons over 20 years old, obesity index and serum levels of triglyceride and total cholesterol were measured, and alcohol consumption was asked. Prevalence of fatty liver was significantly higher in drinkers than non-drinkers (p <0.01), and increased with alcohol consumption. Furthermore, in persons not suffering from obesity prevalence of fatty liver was significantly higher in drinkers than in non-drinkers (p < 0.001). The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that obesity and elevated serum triglyceride level in both sexes, and alcohol in males were significant predictors of fatty liver. In conclusion, prevalence of fatty liver increased with age to a maximumin persons 40-49 years of age and overall was 14.0%. Obesity was the strongest associated factor in both sexes and in males alcohol was also a strong factor.

In an investigation of the mode of transmission of adult T cell leukemia virus (ATLV) in family settings, 275 male and 444 female subjects positive for antibody to ATLV-associated antigen (anti-ATLA) were studied. Their children were surveyed for anti-ATLA status. None of the 82 children of a positive father and a negative mother were positive for anti-ATLA. In contrast, the antibody prevalence among children with a positive mother and a positive or negative father was 27.9% and 19.9%, respectively. Of 39 parents who had one or more anti-ATLA-positive children less than 20 years old, 56.3% of the fathers and 97.1% of the mothers were anti-ATLA positive. Algorithm computation showed the possibility of ATLV transmission from husband to wife to be 60.8% and from wife to husband to be 0.4% over a 10-year period. These data suggest that ATLV is transmitted from mother to child and from husband to wife in family settings.

Acute hepatitis C often progresses to chronic infection. We undertook a randomized controlled trial to determine whether short-term therapy with interferon (IFN) during acute hepatitis C is effective in preventing the development of chronic hepatitis. Thirty patients with acute hepatitis C were randomized into 1 of 2 treatment groups. IFN therapy was initiated 8 weeks after the onset of acute hepatitis in the early-intervention group and after 1 year of observation in the late-intervention group. Short-term therapy consisted of natural IFN-alfa (6 million units) administered on consecutive days for a period of 4 weeks. Any signs of recrudescence of disease were immediately followed by interval IFN therapy (3 times weekly for 20 weeks). In the early-intervention group, short-term therapy was associated with a sustained virological response in 13 of 15 patients (87%). Follow-up treatment was associated with a sustained virological response in both of the remaining 2 patients (100%). The sustained virological response rate was significantly higher in the early-intervention group (87%, 13 of 15 patients after short-term therapy alone, and 100%, 15 of 15 patients after short-term with or without follow-up therapy) than in the late-intervention group (40%, 6 of 15 patients after short-term therapy alone, and 53%, 8 of 15 patients after short-term therapy with or without follow-up therapy, P ‫؍‬ .021 and P ‫؍‬ .006, respectively). A cute hepatitis that develops after infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is often followed by chronic hepatitis, which may progress eventually to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 1,2 In the past, the primary causes of infection with HCV were blood transfusion and various medical procedures. Today, blood products in Japan are aggressively screened for HCV and disposable medical devices are in widespread use; there has been a reduction in the incidence of HCV infection. However, patients with acute hepatitis C resulting from treatment-related accidents (needle-stick injury), intravenous drug abuse, sexual contact with HCVpositive partners and unknown causes still occasionally present. [3][4][5] Interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C has considerable potential for preventing the development of HCC, either by eradicating HCV, or by decreasing the activity of hepatitis. 6 -9 However, the therapeutic effects of IFN vary depending on the HCV genotype and viral load. 10,11 Although much research has already been undertaken on IFN therapy for acute hepatitis C, findings in trials that relate to the effectiveness of this therapy have not been particularly favorable. Possible reasons include differences in types of IFN, differences in study populations, and inclusion of patients with posttransfusion hepatitis. 12-17 However, Jaeckel et al. 3 reported that a 24-week course of IFN therapy was effective, and that the response to IFN treatment was more favorable in acute hepatitis C than in chronic hepatitis C. Although randomized controlled trials have been used t...

Oseltamivir is less effective for influenza B than for influenza A with regard to duration of fever and virus persistence, irrespective of patient age or the timing of administration of the first dose.

The effectiveness of oseltamivir, but not that of zanamivir, decreased significantly for H1N1 virus infection during the 2008-2009 season.

To investigate the chronologic change of mother-to-child transmission of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in Okinawa, Japan, the presence of antibody to HTLV-I was tested in 4,187 healthy residents between, 4,528 nursery school children, and 3,837 pregnant women between 1968 and 2000. The chronologic change of the feeding method and the length of the breast-feeding period among 1,117 healthy mothers from 1937 to 1995 were also obtained by interview. Age-adjusted prevalence of HTLV-I among healthy residents decreased from 9.1% in 1968-1970 to 7.8% in 1981-1984 and to 6.3% in 1996-1998. The crude prevalence of antibody to HTLV-I among healthy residents less than 20 years old decreased significantly from 4.6% in 1968-1970 to 0.1% in 1996-1998 (P < 0.0001). The prevalence of antibody to HTLV-I among nursery school children decreased significantly over the study period, from a high of 1.8% in 1984 to a low of 0.2% in 1998 (P = 0.03). The prevalence among pregnant women decreased significantly from 5.6% in 1989-1992 to 3.7% in 1997-2000 (P = 0.0275). Prior to 1967, all healthy mothers breast-fed their children. After 1968, the use of bottled and mixed milk (breast milk and bottled milk) increased, with bottled milk becoming predominant after 1990 (89%). The percentage of healthy mothers breast-feeding for more than one year significantly decreased from 68.3% in 1937-1947 to 0.4% in 1990-1995 (P < 0.0001). Infection with HTLV-I in Okinawa has decreased mainly due to a reduction in the number of mothers breast-feeding and a shortening of the breast-feeding period. However, because the mother-to-child transmission rate among non-breast-feeders decreased from 12.8% in 1986-1991 to 3.2% in 1995-1999, there may be other factors involved in the decrease in mother-to-child transmission.

Background: Interferon alfa is used widely for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Little is known, however, of the relationship between patients' sex and the effectiveness of interferon alfa treatment in these patients.

Early administration increases the benefit of anti-influenza drugs--not only the benefit of oseltamivir treatment for influenza A, but also the benefit of amantadine treatment for influenza A and oseltamivir treatment for influenza B. Oseltamivir may be less effective as a treatment for influenza B than for influenza A. A highest body temperature of > or = 39 degrees C was an indicator of a longer duration of fever.