Browsing by Author "Buyukberber, Mehmet"

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Correlation Between Intrahepatic Hepatitis B Virus Cccdna Levels and Other Activity Markers in Patients With Hbeag-Negative Chronic Hepatitis B Infection
(Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011) Guner, Rahmet; Karahocagil, Mustafa; Buyukberber, Mehmet; Kandemir, Ozlem; Ural, Onur; Usluer, Gaye; Tasyaran, Mehmet A.
Objective The aim of this study was to demonstrate the relation between intrahepatic (IH) hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) levels and the other HBV replicative intermediates and hepatocyte expression of HBV antigens. Patients and methods Patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity, hepatitis B early antigen negativity, serum HBV DNA levels 10(4) copies/ml or more, and constantly or intermittently increased alanine aminotransferase levels were included. Results Fifty-nine patients were included. There was a good correlation between the levels of IH HBV cccDNA and serum HBV DNA (P<0.001). Serum HBsAg levels were weakly correlated with IH HBV cccDNA levels and moderately correlated with serum HBV DNA (r=0.322, P=0.017; r=0.489, P=0.001, respectively). There were no significant correlation between serum HBsAg level and histologic activity index groups (P=0.691), but stage 0, 1, and greater than 2 fibrosis groups were positively correlated with serum HBsAg levels (P=0.019). IH cccDNA and serum HBV DNA were significantly different in hepatitis B core antigen staining groups (P=0.008 and <0.001, respectively) but there was no significant correlation between HBsAg staining groups and HBV replication markers. There was a weak correlation between serum HBsAg levels and IH HBsAg and hepatitis B core antigen levels (r=0.333, P=0.012; r=0.366, P=0.006, respectively). In multivariate analysis, alanine aminotransferase, age, fibrosis stage, and serum HBsAg quantitation were the most important factors predicting IH HBV cccDNA level. Conclusion Histopathologic damage, serum HBV DNA levels, and IH HBV replication markers have a more complex and dynamic process. However, both serum and IH HBV replication markers provide important knowledge about the activity of the disease. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 23:1185-1191 (C) 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Serum Cystatin C Measurement in Differential Diagnosis of Intra and Extrahepatic Cholestatic Diseases
(Mexican Assoc Hepatology, 2010) Buyukberber, Mehmet; Koruk, Irfan; Cykman, Oztekin; Koruk, Mehmet; Kucukoglu, Mehmet Emin; Sakman, Abdullah; Sahinoz, Saime
Objective. Cystatin C is a very potent inhibitor of cysteine proteinases and, it has been clinically applied as a sensitive marker in monitoring of renal and liver functions. The aim of this study was to reveal whether cystatin C may be a useful marker for distinguishing intra- versus extrahepatic cholestasis. Materials and methods. Serum cystatin C concentrations were determined by nephelometric immunoassay using N latex cystatin C kit in 53 patients with cholestatic disorder that included 18 patients with intrahepatic cholestasis, 17 patients with malignant extrahepatic cholestasis, 18 patients with benign extrahepatic cholestasis. Serum cystatin C concentration was also determined in 20 healthy volunteers. Results. Mean serum cystatin C concentration was 2.82 +/- 0.24 mg/l (SD) in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis, 2.05 +/- 0.15 mg/l in patients with extrahepatic malignant cholestasis, 1.37 +/- 0.13 mg/l in extrahepatic benign cholestatic patients and 0.93 +/- 0.24 mg/l in control group. Serum cystatin C concentrations in patients with cholestatic disease were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (p < 0.001). Moreover, mean serum cystatin C concentration in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis was higher than those in extrahepatic cholestasis groups (p < 0.001). Serum cystatin C concentrations were significantly higher in patients with malignant extrahepatic cholestasis than in patients with benign extrahepatic cholestasis (p < 0.001). There were no correlations patients among serum cystatin C concentrations and serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, total and conjugated bilirubin. Conclusion. Our results suggested that serum cystatin C level may be a potential biochemical marker both to point out an intrahepatic origin by excluding an extrahepatic source of cholestasis in patients with jaundice and to possibly differentiate bening and malignant extrahepatic cholestatic disorders.