Short communication: impact of hepatitis C viral clearance on CD4+ T-lymphocyte course in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin.

The long-term impact of pegylated-interferon plus ribavirin (Peg-IFN-RBV) treatment outcome on CD4 T cell course in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of HCV-RNA clearance by standard anti-HCV therapy on long-term CD4 cells recovery in HIV/HCV patients on successful combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). We retrospectively enrolled HIV/HCV-coinfected patients on stable cART, treated with Peg-IFN-RBV between 2005 and 2009.

Diagnosis and therapy for hospitalized imported malaria in adults in Italy.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of malaria in non-endemic countries presents a continuing challenge.

Methods: Medical records were reviewed for 291 patients hospitalized with microscopically confirmed malaria diagnosed consecutively in two infectious diseases wards in Milano, Italy, between 1998 and 2007.

Results: One hundred eighty-six (64%) were male; median age was 35 y (range 16-72 y).

Liver-related factors associated with low vitamin D levels in HIV and HIV/HCV coinfected patients and comparison to general population.

Objectives: Low 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) was associated with severe fibrosis and low sustained virological response (SVR) after interferon (IFN)-based therapy in chronic hepatitis C. Furthermore, hypovitaminosis D was reported in HIV-infected individuals, but its role in liver disease progression in HIV/HCV coinfection is unknown.

Methods: 25(OH)D was retrospectively measured in 237 HIV-infected patients (93 with HCV coinfection) and 76 healthy controls.

Trends in the postmortem diagnosis of opportunistic invasive fungal infections in patients with AIDS: a retrospective study of 1,630 autopsies performed between 1984 and 2002.

We retrospectively evaluated autopsy-proven invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in patients with AIDS who died between 1984 and 2002. IFIs were identified in 297 (18.2%) of 1,630 autopsies.