Publications by authors named "A Fernandez-Rodriguez"
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated the link between immune checkpoint proteins and liver stiffness in HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals one year after successful HCV treatment, focusing on plasma levels of these proteins and their correlation with liver stiffness measured five years later.
- 39 patients with advanced liver disease who achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) were analyzed, revealing that although liver stiffness decreased over time, it remained persistently high in 61.5% of participants five years after treatment.
- Elevated levels of immune checkpoints BTLA, PD-1, and TIM-3 were associated with this persistently high liver stiffness, indicating a potential ongoing immunological impact on liver health even after HCV eradication.
Background And Aims: In response to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy, patients who experience a decrease in hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) considerably reduce liver complications and have increased survival. This study aimed to assess the metabolomic changes associated with the changes in HVPG from the start of DAA therapy until 48 weeks after effective DAA therapy in patients with advanced HCV-related cirrhosis.
Methods: We carried out a multicenter longitudinal study in 31 patients with advanced hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis.
Article Synopsis
- * A study of 80 patients who cleared HCV infection revealed that 26% developed metabolic events and 46% had increased TyG index levels over five years of follow-up.
- * Low baseline levels of the immune checkpoint proteins BTLA and LAG-3 were linked to a higher risk of developing metabolic disorders, highlighting their potential role in patient monitoring post-treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Proton Minibeam Radiation Therapy (pMBRT) is a unique technique that modulates radiation dose delivery to potentially enhance anti-tumor immune responses while impacting treatment outcomes through specific dosimetric parameters like peak and valley doses.* -
- The study used an orthotopic rat model of glioblastoma to explore how different pMBRT configurations influence survival and immune response, finding that higher dose heterogeneity and maintaining a minimum valley dose improved overall outcomes.* -
- Results indicated that optimizing both peak doses and valley doses led to better tumor eradication and less immunosuppression, contrasting with traditional proton therapy that usually creates uniform dose distributions.*
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the genetic factors linked to severe COVID-19, specifically focusing on hospitalized cases in admixed Americans.
- Researchers conducted the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) for COVID-19 hospitalization in this population, identifying four significant genetic associations, including two novel loci found in Latin Americans.
- The findings highlight the importance of including diverse populations in genomic research, aiming to improve understanding of genetic risks associated with COVID-19 across different ethnic groups.