Treatment Outcomes and Predictors of Response in Treatment-Naive HCV Patients Treated with Peginterferon Alfa/Ribavirin in Real-World Italian Clinics: Sub-Analysis from the PROPHESYS Cohort.

Background/aims: Within Europe, Italy has the highest incidence of HCV. PROPHESYS was a large, non-interventional, multinational cohort study of patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a or -2b/ribavirin for CHC; 22.4% of patients were from Italian centers.

Real-world outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis C: primary results of the PROBE study.

Background: This large prospective multicentre cohort study aimed to improve knowledge of therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in real clinical practice.

Methods: A diverse population of adults with CHC including patients with comorbid conditions, laboratory abnormalities and demographic features [comorbidities or special populations (CSP)] who were under-represented or excluded from peginterferon registration studies was treated with peginterferon α-2a (40 kDa) or α-2b (12 kDa) plus ribavirin at the investigator's discretion.

Results: During the study, 5399 treatment-naive patients [2527 (46.

Activation of VPAC1 receptors aggravates early atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Objective: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino acid peptide widely expressed in the body and binding three types of receptors: VPAC(1)-R, VPAC(2)-R and PAC(1)-R. Based on beneficial effects of VIP and VPAC(1)-R agonists in mouse models of several chronic inflammatory disorders, we hypothesized that activation of VIP receptors would prevent atherosclerosis development in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Methods And Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, administration of a VPAC(1)-R agonist, (Ala(11,22,28))-VIP aggravated atherosclerotic lesion development in the aortic root of these mice compared to control mice.

Gene transfer of IkappaBalpha limits infarct size in a mouse model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays a central role in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury. The inhibitory protein IkappaBalpha prevents its activation. We investigated the effects of adeno-associated viral vector-mediated IkappaBalpha gene transfer in MI/R injury.

Enhancement of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor after adeno-associated virus gene transfer is associated with improvement of brain ischemia injury in the gerbil.

Angiogenesis induced by growth factors may represent a rational therapy for patients with stroke. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a pivotal role in angiogenesis and VEGF expression is enhanced in the post-ischemic brain. VEGF induced by brain hypoxia can lead to the growth of new vessels and may represent a natural protective mechanism improving survival after stroke.

Effect of recombinant adeno-associated virus vector-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor gene transfer on wound healing after burn injury.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector-mediated human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) transfer on experimental burn wounds.

Design: Randomized experiment.

Setting: Research laboratory.

Crucial role of nuclear factor-kappaB in neointimal hyperplasia of the mouse carotid artery after interruption of blood flow.

We used a molecular genetics approach to investigate the role of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in neointimal hyperplasia induced by flow interruption of carotid artery in mice. Wild type mice (WT mice) and mice rendered deficient in p105, the precursor of p50, one of the components of the multimeric transcription factor NF-kappaB (NF-kappaB knockout mice; KO mice), were subjected to a complete ligation of the left common carotid artery. Morphometric analysis of the structural alteration caused by the disruption of the arterial blood flow was performed 14 days after surgery.

Inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB activation by IRFI 042, protects against endotoxin-induced shock.

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of IRFI 042, a novel dual vitamin E-like antioxidant, on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation, TNF-alpha gene priming and on the release of the mature protein during endotoxin shock.

Methods: Endotoxin shock was produced in male rats by a single intravenous (i.v.