Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29378031›Full record

ArticleTransactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene2017

Stage of disease in hepatitis B virus infection in Zambian adults is associated with large cell change but not well defined using classic biomarkers.

Bright Nsokolo, Anne Kanunga, Edford Sinkala, Kanekwa Zyambo, Dia Kumwenda, David Chama, Gabriel Muyinda, Michael Vinikoor, Samreen Ijaz, Richard Tedder and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Bright NsokoloTROPGAN, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.
Anne KanungaTROPGAN, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.
Edford SinkalaTROPGAN, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.
Kanekwa ZyamboTROPGAN, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.
Dia KumwendaZambia National Blood Transfusion Service, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.
David ChamaZambia National Blood Transfusion Service, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.
Gabriel MuyindaZambia National Blood Transfusion Service, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.
Michael VinikoorUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Samreen IjazBlood-Borne Virus Unit, Microbiology Services, Public Health England, Colindale, UK.
Richard TedderBlood-Borne Virus Unit, Microbiology Services, Public Health England, Colindale, UK.
Ali Khalifa A ElmdaahBarts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Meleri JonesBarts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Clarence ChilubaTROPGAN, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.
Victor MudendaDepartment of Pathology and Microbiology, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.
Robert D GoldinDepartment of Hepatology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Graham FosterBarts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Paul KellyTROPGAN, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia.

Funding

Medical Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular malignancy in young adults is a prominent feature of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in southern Africa. Here we report a cross-sectional study of liver pathology correlated with biomarkers in adults with HBV infection in Zambia. Methods: We analysed liver biopsies from Zambian patients with persistent HBV infection. Results: We analysed 104 patients with HBV infection and evidence of liver disease. We obtained liver biopsies from 53 adults; of these, 12 (23%) were hepatitis B e antigen seropositive. The genotype was evenly distributed between A and E. One biopsy showed malignancy. Stage was 3 or more in 11 of 52 (21%) biopsies free of malignancy and lobular inflammation was found in 50 (94%). Neither alanine aminotransferase (ALT) nor the γ-glutamyl transferase:platelet ratio (GPR) were correlated with the stage of disease but were correlated with total Ishak score (ρ=0.47, p=0.0004 and ρ=0.33, p=0.02, respectively). Large cell change was observed in 10 of 11 biopsies with fibrosis stage 3 or more and 16 of 41 with early disease (p=0.005). Serum α-fetoprotein was elevated, although still within the normal range, in patients with large cell change (median 3.6 [interquartile range {IQR} 1.6-5.1]) compared with those without (1.7 [IQR 1.0-2.8]; p=0.03). Neither ALT nor GPR predicted large cell change. Conclusions: Large cell change was common in young HBV-infected adults in Zambia. Only serum α-fetoprotein was identified as a biomarker of this phenotype.

Indexed as

Adultalpha-FetoproteinsAntigens, BacterialBiomarkers, TumorCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGenotypeHepatitis BHepatitis B virusHumansLiver NeoplasmsMaleYoung AdultZambiaalpha-FetoproteinsAntigens, BacterialBiomarkers, TumorAfricaHepatitis BHepatocellular carcinomaliver biopsy

Identifiers

PMID29378031
PMCPMC5914341

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.