Current News which

discusses available

Blood and Immune products.

---

CURRENT NEWS-March 15, 2005

News Articles of Interest, related to the usage of Oyster Extract Health Supplements.

The Immune System is your natural ability to protect your body from disease. Zinc activates the correct function of your immune cells. Studies show that people who suffer from Zinc deficiency nearly always have a decreased immune system and are subject to infections and illness.

Each month, OY-EX.com will provide an interesting article of topical discussion regarding medical issues related to liver disease. OY-EX is an important part of a regime to maintain good health, including the best vitamins and minerals found in nature to provide a healthy liver and immune system.

Research

Is Vaccination for Hepatitis A Cost Effective in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients in the US?

March 15, 2005

Vaccination for Hepatitis A is often recommended by physicians to their patients with chronic hepatitis C. The objective of the current study was to determine if hepatitis A vaccination is cost-effective in this patient population. The specific strategies evaluated were: no vaccination, targeted vaccination, and universal vaccination.

Clinical estimates were based on published data. Costs estimates were based on published data and institutional Medicare reimbursement rates. Health-related quality-of-life weights were derived from published data and expert estimates. The target population consisted of patients 45 yr of age with chronic hepatitis C followed every 6 months until death. The researchers adopted a societal perspective.

Results

Compared with no vaccination, targeted vaccination was associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $51,000 per quality-adjusted life-year. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of universal vaccination compared with targeted vaccination was $3,900,000 per quality-adjusted life-year.

The results were particularly sensitive to the incidence of hepatitis A, probability of fulminant hepatic failure, and costs of hepatitis A antibody screening and vaccination.

Conclusions

The authors conclude, "Targeted vaccination for hepatitis A in patients with chronic hepatitis C may be a cost-effective strategy to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with hepatitis A superinfection. Universal vaccination is not a cost-effective alternative to targeted vaccination in this target population."

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.

02/23/05

�E Reference

M R Arguedas and others. The cost-effectiveness of hepatitis A vaccination in patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection in the United States. American Journal of Gastroenterology 97(3): 721-728. March 2002.

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2005/032105_b.html

---

A Possible Link Between Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Type-2 Diabetes in Renal Diseases and Transplantation

A link between Hepatitis C virus infection and development of diabetes mellitus has been suggested by many investigators; however, this remains controversial. The mechanisms underlying the association between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus are unclear but a great majority of clinical surveys have found a significant and independent relationship between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus after renal transplantation and orthotopic liver transplantation.

In this retrospective study, researchers in Italy have systematically reviewed the scientific literature to explore the association between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus in end-stage renal disease; in addition, data on patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation were also analyzed.

The unadjusted odds ratio for developing post-transplant diabetes mellitus in hepatitis C virus-infected renal transplant recipients ranged between 1.58 and 16.5 across the published studies.

The rate of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody in serum was higher among dialysis patients having diabetes mellitus.

Patients with type-2 diabetes-related glomerulonephritis had the highest anti-hepatitis C virus prevalence [19.5% (24/123) vs. 3.2% (73/2247); P < 0.001] in a large cohort of Japanese patients who underwent renal biopsy.

The link between hepatitis C virus and diabetes mellitus may explain, in part, the detrimental role of hepatitis C virus on patient and graft survival after orthotopic liver transplantation and/or renal transplantation.

Preliminary evidence suggests that anti-viral therapies prior to renal transplantation and novel immunosuppressive regimens may lower the occurrence of diabetes mellitus in hepatitis C virus-infected patients after renal transplantation.

Clinical trials are under way to assess if the hepatitis C virus-linked predisposition to new onset diabetes mellitus after renal transplantation may be reduced by newer immunosuppressive medications.

Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Maggiore Hospital, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

�E Reference

F Fabrizi and others. Hepatitis C virus infection and type-2 diabetes mellitus in renal diseases and transplantation. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 21(6): 623-632. March 15, 2005.

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/hep_c/news/2005/032305_b.html

CURRENT NEWS-March 16, 2005