Liver meeting opens in Dallas

Leland Yee M.P.H
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London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

The 52nd annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver

Diseases (AASLD) opened on Saturday, 10 November, in Dallas, Texas.

Glossary

hepatitis B virus (HBV)

The hepatitis B virus can be spread through sexual contact, sharing of contaminated needles and syringes, needlestick injuries and during childbirth. Hepatitis B infection may be either short-lived and rapidly cleared in less than six months by the immune system (acute infection) or lifelong (chronic). The infection can lead to serious illnesses such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. A vaccine is available to prevent the infection.

efficacy

How well something works (in a research study). See also ‘effectiveness’.

natural history

The natural development of a disease or condition over time, in the absence of treatment.

Known as “the Liver Meeting”, it covers the clinical care of a broad range

of liver diseases. While mainly attended by liver specialists, the event is increasingly reflecting the merging of the hepatology and wider infectious disease communities with HIV coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and

hepatitis B virus (HBV) as major topics.

This year, presentations on HIV and hepatitis co-infection will focus on main

lines of enquiry:

  • Natural history: presentations on disease severity and mortality in HIV/HCV or HBV co-infected patients.

  • Treatment: primarily on the safety and efficacy of combination interferon

    and ribavirin therapy in HIV/HCV co-infected patients.

More information on the AASLD and the annual meeting is available at the

href ="http://www.aalsd.org">Society’s website

.

Further reports from Leland Yee at the AASLD meeting will be published later this week.

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