Search results for " hepatitis"
showing 10 items of 546 documents
Gender differences in chronic HBsAg carriers in Italy: Evidence for the independent role of male sex in severity of liver disease
2015
It has been shown that sexual hormones have an opposite effect on hepatic fibrosis progression and hepatocellular carcinoma development. Sex differences among 2,762 chronic HBsAg carriers consecutively referring Italian hospitals in 2001 and in 2007 have been evaluated, particularly focusing on the role of gender on severity of liver disease. The overall sex ratio (males/females) was 2.6. Females were more likely born abroad and new diagnosis cases; but less likely HIV coinfected. No sex difference was observed regarding coinfection with other hepatitis viruses. The sex ratio linearly increased with increasing severity of liver disease, being 1.3 in normal ALT, 2.8 in chronic hepatitis, 3.6…
The Hepatic Expression of Vitamin D Receptor Is Inversely Associated With the Severity of Liver Damage in Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Patients
2015
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels have been associated with the severity of liver fibrosis in genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients (G1CHC), and experimental evidence suggested a hepatoprotective role of vitamin D via interaction with hepatic vitamin D receptor (VDR). We assessed the hepatic expression of VDR protein and its association with liver disease severity. METHODS: Ninety-one consecutive patients with biopsy-proven G1CHC and available frozen liver tissue were evaluated. Ten subjects without chronic liver diseases and nine patients with autoimmune hepatitis served as controls. The hepatic expression of VDR protein was assessed by Western blot for quantification…
Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection with direct-acting antiviral drugs is safe and effective in patients with hemoglobinopathies
2017
Progression of liver fibrosis in patients with hemoglobinopathies is strongly related to the severity of iron overload and the presence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Effective iron chelation therapy and HCV infection eradication may prevent liver complications. The European Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines recommend interferon-free regimens for the treatment of HCV infection in patients with hemoglobinopathies. However, data regarding the use of direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) in this patient population are few. This observational study evaluated the safety and efficacy of therapy with DAAs in an Italian cohort of patients with hemoglobinopathies, chron…
Treatment of Hepatitis C virus infection in Italy: A consensus report from an expert panel
2017
Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains one of the main causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has significantly improved the course of patients with chronic HCV infection (CHC), due to the ability of these drugs to achieve high rates of sustained virological response (SVR). These exceedingly high rates of SVR and the excellent safety data have been confirmed in real life practice. Evolving guidelines have been issued by national and international scientific societies in accordance with the progression of clinical knowledge and the availability of new DAAs. These recommendations, however, may not be applied universally because of …
From current status to optimization of HCV treatment: Recommendations from an expert panel
2016
Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem at a global level, causing an enormous burden of hepatic and extra-hepatic morbidity and mortality. Treatment of chronic HCV (CHC) has been revolutionized in the last few years by the introduction of highly effective and well tolerated direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) able to achieve >90% rates of sustained virological response (SVR) in many groups of patients, including those previously excluded from interferon-based regimens. For such reason interferon-free regimens are now the treatments of choice for all patients. Successful anti-HCV treatment can stop liver disease progression and can solve the HCV-relat…
Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the management of patients with liver diseases: A national survey by the Italian association for the study of the…
2020
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on national and regional health systems. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the quality of care for patients with liver disease is still unknown. Aims The Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF) conducted a survey to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on hepatology units activities in Italy. Methods A prospective web-based survey was proposed to all AISF active members. The survey was available online from April 8 2020, to May 3 2020, (lockdown phase in Italy). Results 194 AISF members answered the questionnaire, most of whom were specialists in Gastroenterology (41%) or Internal Medicine (28%), and worked in Northern Italy (51…
Impact of hepatitis C virus clearance by direct-acting antiviral treatment on the incidence of major cardiovascular events: A prospective multicentre…
2020
Background and aims: HCV is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events (CV). Whether HCV clearance by direct-acting antivirals (DAA) reduces incident CV disease is poorly understood. We investigate whether HCV eradication reduces CV events. Methods: In a prospective multicentre study, 2204 HCV patients (F0–F2:29.5%, F3–F4: 70.5%) were enrolled. Males were 48%, median age was 68 (59–74) years and BMI 25.9 (23.1–28); 24.7% were smokers, 18% had diabetes, 13.2% had cholesterol levels >200 mg/dl and 9.1% took statins, 44% had hypertension. During an overall median follow-up of 28 (24–39) months, incident CV events, such as ischemic heart disease (IHD) and ischemic cerebral st…
Hepatitis C in the elderly: a multicentre cross-sectional study by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver
2012
Background: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection increases with advancing age, but elderly hepatitis C virus patients remain an understudied population. Aim: To define the virological, epidemiological and clinical profiles of Italian outpatients aged 65 years and over infected by hepatitis C virus. Methods: We evaluated 1544 anti-hepatitis C virus positive patients aged >=65 years referred to 34 Italian outpatient specialty clinics over a two-year period. Results: The study population included 1134 (73%) early elderly (65-74 years) and 410 (27%) late elderly patients (>=75 years). Late elderly subjects were less likely to have their virus genotyped, their viral load assessed or a h…
Sustained virological response to interferon-alpha is associated with improved outcome in HCV-related cirrhosis: a retrospective study
2007
The effect of achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) following interferon-α (IFNα) treatment on the clinical outcomes of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis is unknown. In an attempt to assess the risk of liver-related complications, HCC and liver-related mortality in patients with cirrhosis according to the response to IFNα treatment, a retrospective database was developed including all consecutive patients with HCV-related, histologically proven cirrhosis treated with IFNα monotherapy between January 1992 and December 1997. SVR was an undetectable serum HCV-RNA by PCR 24 weeks after IFNα discontinuation. HCC was assessed by ultrasound every 6 months. Independent predictors of al…
Triple therapy in treatment-experienced patients with HCV-cirrhosis in a multicentre cohort of the French Early Access Programme (ANRS CO20-CUPIC) – …
2013
International audience; Background & AimsIn phase III trials, the safety profile of triple therapy (pegylated interferon/ribavirin with boceprevir or telaprevir) seems to be similar in HCV treatment-experienced cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients, but few cirrhotics were included. We report the week 16 safety and efficacy analysis in a cohort of compensated cirrhotics treated in the French Early Access Programme.Methods674 genotype 1 patients, prospectively included, received 48 weeks of triple therapy. The analysis is restricted to 497 patients reaching week 16.ResultsA high incidence of serious adverse events (40.0%), and of death and severe complications (severe infection or hepatic dec…