0000000000935772
AUTHOR
C Ferrari
Impact of Safety-Related Dose Reductions or Discontinuations on Sustained Virologic Response in HCV-Infected Patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort.
Background: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. Methods: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the i…
Safety and efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce ileus after colorectal surgery
Ileus is common after elective colorectal surgery, and is associated with increased adverse events and prolonged hospital stay. The aim was to assess the role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for reducing ileus after surgery.A prospective multicentre cohort study was delivered by an international, student- and trainee-led collaborative group. Adult patients undergoing elective colorectal resection between January and April 2018 were included. The primary outcome was time to gastrointestinal recovery, measured using a composite measure of bowel function and tolerance to oral intake. The impact of NSAIDs was explored using Cox regression analyses, including the results of a c…
Modeling cost-effectiveness and health gains of a âuniversalâ versus âprioritizedâ hepatitis C virus treatment policy in a real-life cohort
We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of two alternative direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment policies in a real-life cohort of hepatitis C virusâinfected patients: policy 1, âuniversal,â treat all patients, regardless of fibrosis stage; policy 2, treat only âprioritizedâ patients, delay treatment of the remaining patients until reaching stage F3. A liver disease progression Markov model, which used a lifetime horizon and health care system perspective, was applied to the PITER cohort (representative of Italian hepatitis C virusâinfected patients in care). Specifically, 8,125 patients naive to DAA treatment, without clinical, sociodemographic, or insurance restrictions, were us…
Gamma component dosimetry in the thermal column of the TRIGA reactor in Pavia
This presentation describes the assessment of the gamma rays spectrum and dose. Yhe result have been used to perform dosimetry in cell cultures for in-vitro BNCT studies.
Randomised study comparing 48 and 96 weeks peginterferon α-2a therapy in genotype D HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B
Treatment with peginterferon α-2a (PegIFN) for 48 weeks is the standard of care for selected HBeAg-negative patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), but with limited treatment efficacy. A study was undertaken to investigate whether treatment extension to 96 weeks improves the outcome in this patient population.128 HBeAg-negative patients (120 genotype D) were randomised to weekly 180 μg PegIFN for 48 weeks (group A, n=51), 180 μg PegIFN for 48 weeks followed by 135 μg weekly for an additional 48 weeks (group B, n=52) or 180 μg PegIFN plus lamivudine (100 mg/day) for 48 weeks then 135 μg PegIFN for 48 weeks (group C, n=25). Endpoints were alanine aminotransferase normalisa…
Practice guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis C: recommendations from an AISF/SIMIT/SIMAST Expert Opinion Meeting.
It is increasingly clear that a tailored therapeutic approach to patients with hepatitis C virus infection is needed. Success rates in difficult to treat and low-responsive hepatitis C virus patients are not completely satisfactory, and there is the need to optimise treatment duration and intensity in patients with the highest likelihood of response. In addition, the management of special patient categories originally excluded from phase III registration trials needs to be critically re-evaluated. This article reports the recommendations for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection on an individual basis, drafted by experts of three scientific societies.
Safety of hospital discharge before return of bowel function after elective colorectal surgery
Ileus is common after colorectal surgery and is associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. Identifying features of normal bowel recovery and the appropriateness for hospital discharge is challenging. This study explored the safety of hospital discharge before the return of bowel function.A prospective, multicentre cohort study was undertaken across an international collaborative network. Adult patients undergoing elective colorectal resection between January and April 2018 were included. The main outcome of interest was readmission to hospital within 30 days of surgery. The impact of discharge timing according to the return of bowel function was explored using multiva…
Understanding Factors Associated With Psychomotor Subtypes of Delirium in Older Inpatients With Dementia
Objectives Few studies have analyzed factors associated with delirium subtypes. In this study, we investigate factors associated with subtypes of delirium only in patients with dementia to provide insights on the possible prevention and treatments. Design This is a cross-sectional study nested in the "Delirium Day" study, a nationwide Italian point-prevalence study. Setting and participants Older patients admitted to 205 acute and 92 rehabilitation hospital wards. Measures Delirium was evaluated with the 4-AT and the motor subtypes with the Delirium Motor Subtype Scale. Dementia was defined by the presence of a documented diagnosis in the medical records and/or prescription of acetylcholine…
HUMAN LEUKOCYTE ANTIGEN POLYMORPHISMS IN ITALIAN PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS: A MULTICENTER STUDY OF 664 PATIENTS AND 1992 HEALTHY CONTROLS
Genetic factors are critical in determining susceptibility to primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but there has not been a clear association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. We performed a multicenter case-control study and analyzed HLA class II DRB1 associations using a large cohort of 664 well-defined cases of PBC and 1992 controls of Italian ancestry. Importantly, healthy controls were rigorously matched not only by age and sex, but also for the geographical origin of the proband four grandparents (Northern, Central, and Southern Italy). After correction for multiple testing, DRB1*08 [odds ratio (OR), 3.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.4-4.5] and DRB1*02 (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.8-1.2) …
Antiretroviral genotypic resistance in plasma RNA and whole blood DNA in HIV-1 infected patients failing HAART
The extent to which HIV-1 proviral DNA mutations cause clinically relevant antiretroviral resistance is still controversial. Paired plasma HIV-1 RNA and whole blood DNA were compared in patients failing HAART to investigate if the additional knowledge of archived mutations could improve the selection of potentially active drugs. Seventy-three HIV-1-infected patients with first/second HAART failure were studied before starting a new regimen based on RNA genotyping. Follow-up data after a 12-week therapy were available. DNA genotyping was retrospectively performed on stored whole blood samples and mutational profiles were compared to those from RNA. The mean number of IAS pol mutations was si…
Botanica: fondamenti di biologia delle piante
Questa nuova edizione del “Mauseth”, la terza italiana, propone un testo riunificato in un volume unico sulla base di precise esigenze di molti corsi. Non si tratta semplicemente della traduzione della quarta Edizione americana ma di una revisione critica più aderente ai corsi delle Università italiane. Si è tentato di rendere più conciso il testo, pur aggiornandolo con nuove conoscenze, ma mantenendo e talora ampliando l’iconografia originale. Inoltre, taluni capitoli sono stati arricchiti con inserti originali e schemi nuovi che i Colleghi estensori di taluni argomenti, specialmente della parte di Botanica generale, ci hanno aiutato ad ideare. Anche la parte di Botanica sistematica ed eco…