0000000000736344
AUTHOR
Piero Colletti
Response-adjusted α-interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients
Abstract In patients with chronic hepatitis C and HIV infection, responsiveness to the standard schedule of α-interferon (IFN) is unsatisfactory. To quantify the effectiveness of tailoring IFN dosage according to HCV viral load under treatment, we enrolled 41 patients (M/F 32/9) chronically coinfected by HCV and HIV with chronic liver disease. All were former i.v. drug addicts, with a mean age of 32±4 years, and had clinical and histological evidence of chronic hepatitis (10% with cirrhosis). The CDC stage was A1 in five, A2 in 14, A3 in eight, B2 in eight, B3 in three and C3 in three. Twenty four patients were on triple therapy with protease inhibitors, 11 were on two-drug anti-HIV regimen…
Unusual MRI findings in an immunocompetent patient with EBV encephalitis: a case report.
Abstract Blackground It is well-known that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can affect the central nervous system (CNS). Case presentation Herein the authors report unusual timely Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scan findings in an immunocompetent patient with EBV encephalitis. Diffusion weighted MRI sequence performed during the acute phase of the disease was normal, whereas the Fast Relaxation Fast Spin Echo T2 image showed diffuse signal intensity changes in white matter. The enhancement pattern suggested an inflammatory response restricted to the brain microcirculation. Acyclovir and corticosteroid therapy was administered. After three weeks, all signal intensities returned to normal and…
Vitamin D and Osteoporosis in HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients: A Literature Review
Vitamin D deficiency further increases the risk of osteoporosis in HIV-positive patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV); however, it is still unclear whether HCV-related increased fracture risk is a function of the severity of liver disease. The aim of this review was to identify studies on associative vitamin D deficiency patterns in high-risk populations such as HIV/HCV coinfected patients. We did this by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, from inception to August 2014, and included bibliographies. The final 12 articles selected are homogeneous in terms of age but heterogeneous in terms of sample size, participant recruitment, and data source. Most of the HIV/HCV coinfected …