Effect of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir treatment on the blood indices in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus.

Background And Study Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant problem in Egypt, as it is associated with various hematological disorders, both benign and malignant. In Egypt, direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) serve as the principal therapy for HCV to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR). This study investigated the effects of sofosbuvir (SOF) and daclatasvir (DCV) on HCV patients with benign blood index abnormalities and examined the correlation between these abnormalities and SVR.

Mapping rust resistance in European winter wheat: many QTLs for yellow rust resistance, but only a few well characterized genes for stem rust resistance.

Stem rust resistance was mainly based on a few, already known resistance genes; for yellow rust resistance there was a combination of designated genes and minor QTLs. Yellow rust (YR) caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp.

Reproductive Experiences and Cardiovascular Disease Care in Pregnancy-Capable and Postmenopausal Individuals: Insights From the American Heart Association Research Goes Red Registry.

To evaluate preconception health and adverse pregnancy outcome (APO) awareness in a large population-based registry. We examined data from the Fertility and Pregnancy Survey of the American Heart Association Research Goes Red Registry to questions regarding prenatal health care experiences, postpartum health, and awareness of the association of APOs with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Among postmenopausal individuals, 37% were unaware that APOs were associated with long-term CVD risk, significantly varying by race-ethnicity.

Impacts of the Egyptian national screening and treatment programme for viral hepatitis C: A cost-effectiveness model.

Background & Aims: Egypt used to have one of the highest prevalences of HCV infection worldwide. The Egyptian Ministry of Health launched a national campaign for the detection and management of HCV to reduce its burden. This study aims to carry out a cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate the costs and benefits of the Egyptian national screening and treatment programme.

Reproductive Experiences and Cardiovascular Disease Care in Pregnancy Capable and Post-Menopausal Individuals: Insights from the American Heart Association Research Goes Red Registry.

Background: Information on reproductive experiences and awareness of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among pregnancy-capable and post-menopausal individuals has not been well described. We sought to evaluate preconception health and APO awareness in a large population-based registry.

Methods: Data from the Fertility and Pregnancy Survey of the American Heart Association Research Goes Red Registry (AHA-RGR) were used.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease with hepatitis C virus infection-a population-based study.

Background: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was proposed in 2020 to identify fatty liver disease associated with metabolic risks. Metabolic abnormalities with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and MAFLD frequently co-exist. However, data on the co-existence are still lacking.

Impact of successful HCV treatment using direct acting antivirals on recurrence of well ablated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: There are many contradictory studies that dealt with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence rate of well ablated hepatitis C virus (HCV) related HCC. We aim to assess the recurrence rate of previously ablated HCC in patients who received direct acting antiviral (DAA) for their HCV.

Research Design And Methods: This is a retrospective data analysis of 523 HCV patients who have a history of successfully ablated HCC and eligible for HCV treatment.

Efficacy of combined Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia: a multicenter Egyptian study.

Background: Limited experimental and clinical evidence suggests a potential role for sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID19. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of generic sofosbuvir/daclatasvir in treating COVID-19 patients with pneumonia.

Research Design And Methods: This multicenter prospective study involved 174 patients with COVID-19.

Pregnancy outcome of anti-HCV direct-acting antivirals: Real-life data from an Egyptian cohort.

We aimed to assess the pregnancy outcome in women with chronic HCV who had negative pregnancy test prior to the anti-HCV course and had unintended pregnancy while on HCV treatment. Hundred patients with a mean age of 30 ± 6.7 y were included and advised to withhold antivirals and continue follow-up in viral hepatitis and obstetrics centres till delivery.

Evaluation of red cell distribution width to platelet ratio as a novel non-invasive index for predicting hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background And Study Aims: Assessing the extent of fibrosis is an essential part of therapeutic decisions in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Liver biopsies are the "gold standard" for evaluating liver fibrosis but have many limitations. Thus, noninvasive predictors of fibrosis have been developed.

The interrelation between lipid profile in chronic HCV patients and their response to antiviral agents.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the changes of lipid profile in chronic HCV patients; before, during, and after treatment with DAAs and their association with treatment response.

Methods: 301 chronic HCV patients who received SOF-based therapy were included. Serum lipid profile was assessed at different check points; baseline, 6 weeks on treatment, end of treatment (EOT) and 12 weeks after EOT; and compared between SVR and non-SVR groups.

Sustained virologic response and changes in liver fibrosis parameters following 12-wk administration of generic sofosbuvir and daclatasvir in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with HCV genotype 4 infection.

Background: Novel direct-acting antiviral agents have shown great efficacy and tolerability in HCV-monoinfected patients. However, data are lacking regarding their efficacy and safety in HIV/HCV-genotype (GT) 4-coinfected patients.

Methods: A single-centre, prospective study including HIV/HCV-GT 4-coinfected patients who were treated with sofosbuvir and daclatasvir (SOF/DCV) was conducted for 12 wk.

Molecular tracking of multiple disease resistance in a winter wheat diversity panel.

About 10% of cultivars possessed superior resistance to four fungal diseases and association mapping for multiple disease resistance identified loci which are not detected by analyzing individual disease resistances. Multiple disease resistance (MDR) aims for cultivars that are resistant to more than one disease which is an important prerequisite for the registration of commercial cultivars. We analyzed a European winter wheat diversity panel of 158 old and new cultivars for four diseases by natural (powdery mildew) and artificial inoculation (yellow rust, stem rust, Fusarium head blight) observed on the same plot in a multilocation trial.

Liver stiffness measurements and FIB-4 are predictors of response to sofosbuvir-based treatment regimens in 7256 chronic HCV patients.

: To assess the role of baseline liver stiffness (LS) by Transient elastography (TE) and FIB-4 in the prediction of virological response to sofosbuvir - based regimens in chronic HCV patients.: A retrospective, multicenter study including 7256 chronic HCV patients who received different sofosbuvir-based regimens. Baseline demographic and laboratory data were recorded.

Hybrid durum wheat: heterosis of grain yield and quality traits and genetic architecture of anther extrusion.

Hybrid durum has a promising yield potential coupled with good quality, but the efficiency of hybrid seed production must be improved. Hybrid breeding is a tremendous success story in many crops, but has not yet made a breakthrough in wheat, mainly due to inefficient hybrid seed production. In this study, we investigated the heterosis for grain yield and important quality traits in durum wheat of 33 hybrids built up from 24 parental lines, as well as the variation in anther extrusion and its genetic architecture in a vast collection of Central European elite durum lines.

Evaluation of accuracy of elastography point quantification versus other noninvasive modalities in staging of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C virus patients.

Background: Elastography point quantification (ElastPQ) is a newly noninvasive method incorporated into a conventional ultrasound system for staging of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases.

Aim: The aim was to evaluate ElastPQ reproducibility and its accuracy in staging of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients in comparison with transient elastography (TE) and fibrosis scores [FIB-4 and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI)] using liver biopsy as a reference standard and also to predict the sensitivity and specificity of ElastPQ as well as proposing a cut-off for advanced fibrosis.

Patients And Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional study enrolled 72 chronic HCV patients.

Can spelt wheat be used as heterotic group for hybrid wheat breeding?

Spelt wheat is a distinct genetic group to elite bread wheat, but heterosis for yield and protein quality is too low for spelt to be recommended as heterotic group for hybrid breeding in wheat. The feasibility to switch from line to hybrid breeding is currently a hot topic in the wheat community. One limitation seems to be the lack of divergent heterotic groups within wheat adapted to a certain region.

Planning and prioritizing direct-acting antivirals treatment for HCV patients in countries with limited resources: Lessons from the Egyptian experience.

Background And Aims: The introduction of direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Egypt led to massive treatment uptake, with Egypt's national HCV treatment program becoming the largest in the world. The aim of this paper is to present the Egyptian experience in planning and prioritizing mass treatment for patients with HCV, highlighting the difficulties and limitations of the program, as a guide for other countries of similarly limited resources.

Methods: Baseline data of 337,042 patients, treated between October 2014 to March 2016 in specialized viral hepatitis treatment centers, were grouped into three equal time intervals of six months each.

Generic daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir, with or without ribavirin, in treatment of chronic hepatitis C: real-world results from 18 378 patients in Egypt.

Background: Treatment of chronic hepatitis C using combination of sofosbuvir (SOF) and daclatasvir (DCV) was used in several clinical trials and multicentre studies, which were somewhat limited to genotypes 1-3. The national program in Egypt is using SOF-DCV combination for large scale treatment.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of combined SOF-DCV in treating patients with HCV-G4 in a real-world setting.

Impact of old Schistosomiasis infection on the use of transient elastography (Fibroscan) for staging of fibrosis in chronic HCV patients.

Background And Aim: In tropical regions, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) - Schistosomiasis coinfection remains one of the health problems. With the new era of HCV treatment and the variety of methods of assessment of liver fibrosis so we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of FibroScan for staging hepatic fibrosis in HCV-Schistosomiasis coinfected patients.

Methodology: Three groups of patients were enrolled.

Changes in liver stiffness measurements and fibrosis scores following sofosbuvir based treatment regimens without interferon.

Background And Aim: Accurate evaluation of the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases is crucial, as liver fibrosis is important in order to make therapeutic decisions, determine prognosis of liver disease and to follow-up disease progression. Multiple non-invasive methods have been used successfully in the prediction of fibrosis; however, early changes in non-invasive biomarkers of hepatic fibrosis under effective antiviral therapy are widely unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate changes of transient elastography values as well as FIB-4 and AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) in patients treated with Sofosbuvir-based treatment regimen.

National treatment programme of hepatitis C in Egypt: Hepatitis C virus model of care.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem in Egypt as the nation bears the highest prevalence rate worldwide. This necessitated establishing a novel model of care (MOC) to contain the epidemic, deliver patient care and ensure global treatment access. In this review, we describe the process of development of the Egyptian model and future strategies for sustainability.

Sofosbuvir-based treatment regimens: real life results of 14 409 chronic HCV genotype 4 patients in Egypt.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is one of the most important health problems in Egypt. The Ministry of Health's National Treatment Programme introduced sofosbuvir-based therapy in October 2014.

Aim: To assess the clinical effectiveness and predictors of response to SOF-based treatment regimens, either dual therapy, with SOF/ribavirin (RBV) for 6 months or triple therapy with SOF/peg-IFN-alfa-2a/RBV for 3 months, in a cohort of patients treated in National Treatment Programme affiliated centres in Egypt.

Hepatitis C Viral Kinetic Changes in a Retrospective Cohort Study of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Egyptian Patients on Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin Therapy.

The aim of this study was to determine the relative importance of the kinetics of antiviral response compared to baseline host and virological factors for predicting treatment outcome. A retrospective analysis of 285 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients, encompassing genotypes 4 treated with peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin, was performed. Baseline characteristics were compared across HCV genotypes and pretreatment factors associated with rapid virological response (RVR) were identified.