Global epidemiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: What we need in the future.

The estimated prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) worldwide is approximately 25%. However, the real prevalence of NAFLD and the associated disorders is unknown mainly because reliable and applicable diagnostic tests are lacking. This is further complicated by the lack of consensus on the terminology of different entities such as NAFLD or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Dual role of IL-12 in the therapeutic efficacy or failure during combined PEG-Interferon-α2A and ribavirin therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Several efforts have been made to establish novel biomarkers with relevant predictive values to monitor HCV-infected patients under pegilated Interferon-α2A-(PEG-IFN-α2A)/ribavirin therapy. The aim of this study was to monitor the kinetics of HCV viral load, serum levels of pro-inflammatory/regulatory cytokines and leukocyte activation status before and after PEG-IFN-α2A/ribavirin therapy in 52 volunteers, including 12 chronic HCV patients and 40 controls. The HCV viral load, serum levels of cytokines (IL-8/IL-6/TNF-α/IL-12/IFN-γ/IL-4/IL-10) and the phenotype of peripheral blood leukocytes were evaluated before and after 4, 12 and 24 weeks following the PEG-IFN-α2A/ribavirin therapy.

[Characterization of hepatitis C virus in chronic hepatitis patients: genotypes in the State of Amazonas, Brazil].

Introduction: In the State of Amazonas, data regarding the prevalence of different genotypes of hepatitis C virus remains scarce.

Methods: The genotype of 69 HCV positive patients was determined. An in-house standardized nested-PCR was used to detect HCV RNA.

[Sustained virological response in patients with coinfection by hepatitis C virus genotypes 1 and 2, after just nine weeks of antiviral therapy: case report].

A report of a 67 year-old male patient with positive serology for HCV. PCR revealed the presence of HCV RNA, viral load of 2,000 copies/mL and genotypes 1 and 2. The patient was treated with peginterferon alfa-2a at 180 mcg/week and ribavirin at 1,000 mg/day.