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Background and Purpose: The association of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) has been well documented. However, the relationship between dyslipidemia and asymptomatic chronic HBV infection is still unclear., Methods: In 1997, 1330 medical center employees (405 men and 925 women) were recruited to evaluate the effects of chronic HBV infection on serum lipid profile, including total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG). Among these patients, 195 were found to have chronic HBV infection and 35 (17.9%) of them were found to have elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Multiple linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the effects of chronic HBV infection on serum lipids., Results: The most significant finding was that levels of TC and HDL-C were decreased by 5.8 and 2.7 mg/dL respectively, among patients with asymptomatic chronic HBV infection (serum ALT < 40 U/L). After controlling for other determinants, male gender, old age, higher body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio, current smoking, and hepatitis B surface antigen-negative status with ALT > or = 40 U/L were associated with lower serum HDL-C and higher TG levels. However, moderate to heavy alcohol drinking, physically active lifestyle, and lower BMI were associated with higher levels of HDL-C., Conclusions: Asymptomatic chronic HBV infection was associated with lower serum levels of TC and HDL-C. Elevation of ALT was also an indicator of lower levels of HDL-C in patients with chronic hepatitis B and lower serum HDL-C and higher TG levels in patients without HBV infection. These findings also indicated the need to monitor the risk of atherosclerotic diseases in patients with asymptomatic chronic HBV infection, especially those with lower HDL-C levels.

Background and Purpose: To determine the in vitro activity of rifabutin against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and the cross-resistance rate between rifampin and rifabutin., Methods: A total of 56 clinical isolates of MTB, including 23 multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates and 33 susceptible isolates, were tested for susceptibility to rifampin and rifabutin using the absolute concentration method. The concentrations of drugs tested were 2.5 and 5 mg/mL for rifampin and 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL for rifabutin., Results: All 33 MTB isolates that were susceptible to rifampin were also susceptible to rifabutin. None of the 23 MDR-MTB isolates were inhibited by rifabutin at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Among these 23 MDR isolates, three were susceptible to rifabutin at concentrations > or = 0.5 mg/mL, six were susceptible to rifabutin at concentrations > or = 5 mg/mL, 18 were susceptible to rifabutin at concentrations > or = 10 mg/mL and five were not inhibited at any of the concentrations tested. The cross-resistance rate between rifampin and rifabutin was 87%., Conclusions: Our results indicate that the in vitro activity of rifabutin against drug-susceptible MTB isolates is greater than that of rifampin. For MDR-MTB isolates, the cross-resistance is high between rifampin and rifabutin.