0000000000149804

AUTHOR

Alfonso Mele

showing 9 related works from this author

Pegylated interferon α plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C: A multicentre independent study supported by the Italian Drug Agency

2014

a b s t r a c t Background: Data on the efficacy of Peg-interferon/ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C are mostly derived from treatment of selected patients enrolled in clinical trials. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Peg-interferon/ribavirin therapy in “real world” chronic hepatitis C patients in Italy. Methods: Independent observational multicentre study including consecutive patients receiving Peginterferon/ribavirin in the 18 months before (retrospective phase) and after (prospective phase) the start of the study. Results: 4176 patients were eligible. The final study population consisted of 2051 patients in the retrospective and 2073 in the prospective phase. Sust…

RegistrieMaleCirrhosismedicine.disease_causePolyethylene GlycolGastroenterologyPolyethylene Glycolschemistry.chemical_compoundHepatitis VirusesHepatitis ViruseProspective StudiesViralRegistriesChronicProspective cohort studyDrug CarrierDrug CarriersSettore MED/12 - GastroenterologiaMedicine (all)GastroenterologyRecombinant ProteinMiddle AgedHepatitis CRecombinant ProteinsTreatment OutcomeItalyCombinationRNA ViralPopulation studyDrug Therapy CombinationFemaleHumanmedicine.medical_specialtyGenotypeHepatitis C virusAlpha interferonRibavirin; Sustained virological response (SVR); TreatmentAntiviral AgentsFollow-Up StudieRibavirin; Sustained virological response (SVR); Treatment; Hepatology; GastroenterologyDrug TherapyInternal medicineRibavirinmedicineHumansAntiviral AgentHepatologybusiness.industryRibavirinInterferon-alphaHCV therapyHepatitis C ChronicHepatologymedicine.diseaseClinical trialTreatmentProspective StudiechemistryImmunologyRNARibavirin; Sustained virological response (SVR); Treatment; Antiviral Agents; Drug Carriers; Drug Therapy Combination; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Genotype; Hepatitis C Chronic; Hepatitis Viruses; Humans; Interferon-alpha; Italy; Male; Middle Aged; Polyethylene Glycols; Prospective Studies; RNA Viral; Recombinant Proteins; Ribavirin; Treatment Outcome; RegistriesbusinessRibavirin; Sustained virological response (SVR); Treatment; Antiviral Agents; Drug Carriers; Drug Therapy Combination; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Genotype; Hepatitis C Chronic; Hepatitis Viruses; Humans; Interferon-alpha; Italy; Male; Middle Aged; Polyethylene Glycols; Prospective Studies; RNA Viral; Recombinant Proteins; Ribavirin; Treatment Outcome; Registries; Gastroenterology; Hepatology; Medicine (all)Follow-Up StudiesSustained virological response (SVR)
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The importance of HCV on the burden of chronic liver disease in Italy: a multicenter prevalence study of 9,997 cases

2005

Knowledge of the current epidemiology of chronic liver disease in Italy is mostly obsolete and fragmentary for the lack of up-to-date consistent data. In 2001, a 6-month prevalence study was undertaken in 79 hospitals to assess the characteristics of chronic liver disease in Italy. Both prevalent and incident cases were enrolled. A total of 9,997 patients were recruited, of whom 939 (9.4%) had normal liver biochemistry, 6,210 (62.1%) had chronic hepatitis, 1,940 (19.4%) had liver cirrhosis, and 341 (3.4%) had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In 567 patients (5.7%) the diagnosis was not established. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was found in 69.9% of the patients and was the only etiological factor…

AdultLiver CirrhosisMaleHepatitis B virusHBsAgCarcinoma HepatocellularCirrhosisalcohol abuseHepatitis C virusHepacivirusChronic liver diseasemedicine.disease_causeRisk FactorsVirologyPrevalencemedicineHBVHumansAgedbusiness.industryIncidenceLiver DiseasesLiver NeoplasmsHepatitis CMiddle AgedHepatitis BHepatitis Bmedicine.diseaseHepatitis CVirologyAlcoholismInfectious DiseasesItalyHepatocellular carcinomaChronic DiseaseHCVFemaleViral hepatitisbusiness
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Impact of comorbidities on the severity of chronic hepatitis B at presentation.

2011

AIM: To evaluate the clinical relevance of each cofactor on clinical presentation of chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: Out of 1366 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive subjects consecutively observed in 79 Italian hospitals, 53 (4.3%) showed as the only cofactor hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection [hepatitis B virus (HBV)/HDV group], 130 (9.5%) hepatitis C virus (HCV) (group HBV/HCV), 6 (0.4%) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (group HBV/HIV), 138 (10.2%) alcohol abuse (group HBV/alcohol); 109 (8.0%) subjects had at least two cofactors and 924 were in the cofactor-free (CF) group. RESULTS: Compared with patients in group CF those in group HBV/alcohol were older and more frequently had ci…

AdultLiver CirrhosisMaleHBsAgmedicine.medical_specialtyCirrhosisBrief ArticleHepatitis C virusAlcohol abuseLiver CirrhosiHIV InfectionsComorbiditymedicine.disease_causeGastroenterologyChronic hepatitis BSeverity of Illness IndexLiver diseaseHepatitis B ChronicHepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus dual infectionInternal medicinemedicineHBVHumansAge FactorHIV InfectionAgedHepatitis B virusbusiness.industryGastroenterologyAge Factorsvirus diseasesGeneral MedicineHepatitis CMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseHepatitis DHepatitis Cdigestive system diseasesHepatitis DAlcoholismItalyImmunologyFemaleHepatitis D virusbusinessHepatitis B virus/hepatitis D virus dual infectionHuman
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Anti-hepatitis A virus seroprevalence and seroconversion in a cohort of patients with chronic viral hepatitis

2002

Abstract Background. Patients with chronic hepatitis C infected by hepatitis A virus have a substantial risk of fulminant hepatitis or death, while the course of hepatitis A virus is uncomplicated in most subjects with chronic hepatitis B. Aim. To evaluate the prevalence of anti-hepatitis A virus antibodies and the incidence of hepatitis A virus seroconversion in a nationwide sample of 530 patients with chronic hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C infection initially susceptible to this infection after a follow-up of some years. Results. The overall anti-hepatitis A virus prevalence was 85.7%, with no difference between males and females. By the age of 50 years, almost all patients were found to …

AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyAdolescentHepatitis C virusmedicine.disease_causeHepatitis A AntibodiesVirusHepatitis B ChronicSeroepidemiologic StudiesInternal medicinemedicineHumansSeroconversionFulminant hepatitisAgedHepatitis B virusHepatologybusiness.industryIncidenceGastroenterologyHepatitis CHepatitis BHepatitis AHepatitis C ChronicMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseVirologyChronic liver disease; Hepatitis A virus superinfection; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C virus;ItalyHepatitis A AntibodieFemalebusinessViral hepatitisHepatitis A Virus HumanHuman
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Trends of aetiological factors of hepatocellular carcinoma in Italy

2005

Oncologymedicine.medical_specialtyHepaciviruCarcinoma HepatocellularHepatologyvirus HCVbusiness.industryLiver NeoplasmsGastroenterologyHepatitis C ChronicHepatitis Bmedicine.diseaseHepatitis CHepatitisItalyInternal medicineHepatocellular carcinomamedicineEtiologyHumansbusinessDigestive and Liver Disease
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Consensus recommendations for managing asymptomatic persistent non-virus non-alcohol related elevation of aminotransferase levels

2008

Abstract A persistent increase in non-virus non-alcohol related aminostransferase levels can have multiple causes, which differ in terms of prevalence and clinical importance. In the general population, the most frequent cause is non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis, which can evolve into steato-hepatitis and cirrhosis. The treatment for steatosis and non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis consists of modifying lifestyles, whereas the effectiveness of drug treatment remains to be determined. Other much less frequent (yet not rare) causes of persistent non-virus non-alcohol related elevations in aminotransferase levels are celiac disease and hemochromatosis, whereas autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary …

medicine.medical_specialtyeducation.field_of_studyCirrhosisHepatologybusiness.industryPopulationGastroenterologyAutoimmune hepatitisDiseasemedicine.diseaseAsymptomaticPrimary sclerosing cholangitisPrimary biliary cirrhosisInternal medicineImmunologyEpidemiologyMedicinemedicine.symptombusinesseducationDigestive and Liver Disease
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Chronic hepatitis B in Italy: New features of an old disease - Approaching the universal prevalence of hepatitis B e antigen-negative cases and the e…

2008

We evaluated 1336 hepatitis B surface antigen-positive subjects consecutively observed in 79 Italian hospitals over a 6-month period. The proportion of hepatitis B e antigen-negative cases was 86.4%, that of patients coinfected with hepatitis D virus was 9.7%, and the rate of patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus was 16.8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age >49 years, alcohol abuse, and anti-hepatitis D virus and anti-hepatitis C virus positivity were independent predictors of progression to liver cirrhosis. © 2007 by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.

Liver CirrhosisAdultMaleMicrobiology (medical)medicine.medical_specialtyCirrhosisAdolescentHepatitis D ChronicHepatitis C virusHepacivirusLiver CirrhosiHepacivirusmedicine.disease_causeGastroenterologyVirusFlaviviridaeHepatitis B ChronicSeroepidemiologic StudiesInternal medicinemedicineHumansHepatitis B e AntigensAgedAged 80 and overCross-Sectional StudieHepacivirubiologybusiness.industrySeroepidemiologic StudieHepatitis Delta ViruHepatitis BMiddle Agedmedicine.diseasebiology.organism_classificationHepatitis DVirologyAlcoholismCross-Sectional StudiesInfectious DiseasesItalyDisease ProgressionFemaleHepatitis B e AntigenHepatitis D virusHepatitis Delta VirusbusinessHuman
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Therapy expectations and physical comorbidity affect quality of life in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

2007

Summary.  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with a significant reduction of health related quality of life (QOL), the causes and mechanisms of which are still unknown. To explore whether treatment history could affect QOL, we examined patients with detectable HCV viraemia who had a different therapeutic background. Two hundred sixty-four consecutive subjects with chronic HCV infection and detectable viraemia were enrolled. Of these, 163 were untreated patients, 43 were relapsers, 58 were nonresponders (NR) to nonpegylated interferon (IFN) therapy. To assess QOL, three self-report instruments were employed: the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLD…

AdultMaleQuestionnairesmedicine.medical_specialtyHealth StatusHepatitis C virusComorbidityAffect (psychology)Chronic liver diseasemedicine.disease_causeliver-specific quality of life nonresponse to treatment physical comorbidity quality of lifeWorld healthVirusQUALITY OF LIFEChronic hepatitisQuality of lifeSurveys and QuestionnairesVirologyInternal medicineHumansMedicineChronicAgedHepatologybusiness.industryHepatitis C ChronicMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseHepatitis CComorbidityhumanitiesAdult Aged Comorbidity Female Health Status Hepatitis C; Chronic; drug therapy/virology Humans Interferons; therapeutic use Linear Models Male Middle Aged Quality of Life Questionnairesdrug therapy/virologyInfectious Diseasestherapeutic useHCVLinear ModelsPhysical therapyFemaleInterferonsbusiness
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Exposure to HAV infection in patients with chronic liver disease in Italy, a multicentre study*.

2005

Summary.  We carried out a multicentre study on 2830 patients with chronic liver disease from 79 liver units (25 in northern, 24 in central and 30 in southern Italy) to evaluate naturally acquired immunity against hepatitis A virus (HAV) in relation to age, sex, geographical area of origin and entity of liver disease, and to define the strategy for specific vaccination. Antibody to HAV (anti-HAV) was detected in 1514 (53.5%) of the 2830 patients tested; the prevalence was 50.4% in males and 59.1% in females. Both in central and southern Italy the prevalence of anti-HAV positive subjects increased with increasing age from 43.3 and 44.7%, respectively, in the 0–30-year-old subjects to 80.1 an…

AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyCirrhosisAdolescentHepatitis A AntibodiesChronic liver diseaseLiver diseaseSeroepidemiologic StudiesVirologyInternal medicinePrevalencemedicineHumansIn patientChildChronic liver disease HAV infection HAV vaccination HBV chronic infection HCV chronic infection Total anti-HAVAgedAged 80 and overHigh prevalenceHepatologybiologybusiness.industryLiver DiseasesInfantHepatitis AHepatitis AMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseVaccinationCross-Sectional StudiesInfectious DiseasesItalyChild PreschoolImmunoglobulin GChronic DiseaseImmunologybiology.proteinFemaleAntibodybusinessHepatitis A Virus Human
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