Steatotic liver disease in patients treated for chronic hepatitis B.

Introduction: Steatotic liver disease (SLD) can worsen the prognosis of other chronic liver diseases, including viral hepatitis.

Objectives: To compare SLD and non-SLD patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Patients And Methods: The study included consecutive Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NA), entecavir or tenofovir, for a median (quartile 1-3) of 6 (2-11) years and evaluated between January 2023 and June 2024.

Difference in Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Parameters After SARS-CoV-2 Infection During the Alpha and Delta Variant Dominance Periods.

The SARS-CoV-2 infection manifests with diverse clinical manifestations, with severity potentially influenced by the viral variant. COVID-19 has also been shown to impact ocular microcirculation in some patients, but whether this effect varies by viral lineage remains unclear. This prospective study compared clinical features and ocular parameters assessed via optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infections during the dominance of two distinctive viral lineages, Alpha (B.

Changes in macular ganglion cell and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness during recovery from infection with the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in previously hospitalized patients with COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with various systemic complications, including potential impacts on ocular health. Recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may lead to changes in retinal structure, particularly in the neuroretinal and retinal nerve fiber layers (RNFL). This study aimed to examine changes in neuroretinal and RNFL of the optic dics based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia at 2 time points after discharge.

Effect of reduced saturation and elevated D-dimer and interleukin 6 levels on vessel density and foveal avascular zone in patients with COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can affect multiple organs, including the eyes.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify associations between vascular density (VD) and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), assessed using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and baseline levels of D-dimers and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in patients with bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia, depending on oxygen saturation (SpO2) on admission.

Material And Methods: The study included patients with COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection who were hospitalized between March and May 2021.

Loss to follow-up of patients after antiviral treatment as an additional barrier to HCV elimination.

Background: Eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is a goal set by the World Health Organization. This has become possible with the introduction of highly effective and safe direct-acting antivirals (DAA) but limitations remain due to undiagnosed HCV infections and loss of patients from the cascade of care at various stages, including those lost to follow-up (LTFU) before the assessment of the effectiveness of the therapy. The aim of our study was to determine the extent of this loss and to establish the characteristics of patients experiencing it.

Like a Rolling Stone? A Review on Spontaneous Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) without the need for medical intervention, known as spontaneous clearance (SC), occurs at a significantly lower rate than in the case of hepatitis B virus infection and only in selected individuals, such as reportedly in Keith Richards, a guitarist of The Rolling Stones. The present paper provides an updated narrative review of the research devoted to the phenomenon in order to identify and discuss the demographic, lifestyle-related, clinical, viral genotype-related, and host genetic factors underpinning the SC occurrence. The body of evidence indicates that the likelihood of SC is decreased in older individuals, men, Black people, HIV-coinfected subjects, and intravenous drug and alcohol users.

Real-world experience with direct-acting antiviral therapy in HCV-infected patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects 50 million people worldwide with around 242,000 deaths annually, mainly due to complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Portal hypertension (PH) caused by cirrhosis leads to severe consequences, including esophageal varices (EV). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in patients with and without EV.

Real-world effectiveness of genotype-specific and pangenotypic direct-acting antivirals in HCV-infected patients with renal failure.

Aim Of The Study: The aim is to summarize the effectiveness and safety of genotype-specific and pangenotypic hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatments in patients with renal failure.

Material And Methods: In the EpiTer-2 database, which includes data from 22 hepatology centers in Poland, 593 patients with HCV infection and kidney failure were identified. According to KDIGO 2022, they fulfilled the criteria of chronic kidney disease.

Revolutionizing hepatitis C treatment: next-gen direct-acting antivirals.

Introduction: With the introduction of highly effective and safe therapies with next-generation direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), that act without interferon, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains the only treatable chronic infectious disease.

Areas Covered: The review aims to provide an overview of the therapy revolution with a description of specific DAAs, their mechanisms of action, a summary of the safety and efficacy of specific regimens, and a discussion of populations requiring special therapeutic approaches.

Expert Opinion: DAAs are highly effective, safe, and easy to use.

Effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antivirals in the therapy of HCV-infected elderly people.

Background: The introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) with their effectiveness and safety has revolutionized the approach to treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Nevertheless, elderly patients have often been excluded from clinical trials, so the results of real-world studies are particularly important in the context of the geriatric population. The study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of antiviral DAA treatment in HCV-infected patients over the age of 65, with notable inclusion of those over the age of 85.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Assessment of the Optic Nerve Head in Patients Hospitalized Due to COVID-19 Bilateral Pneumonia.

: We aimed to investigate changes in the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) network using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients who recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). : This was a prospective study of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia between March and May 2021. The control group included healthy individuals matched for age and sex.

Hepatitis B virus coinfection in patients treated for chronic hepatitis C: clinical characteristics, risk of reactivation with long-term follow-up, and effectiveness of antiviral therapy.

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) share a similar transmission route, which increases coinfection odds and worsens clinical outcomes.

Objectives: Our aim was to investigate coinfected patients undergoing HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) to understand their characteristics, risk of HBV reactivation, and effectiveness of the therapy.

Patients And Methods: Our study comprehensively analyzed 1118 patients with chronic HCV infection, divided into 3 subgroups based on their HBV status.

Changes in characteristics of patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis from the beginning of the interferon-free era.

Background: Nearly 290000 patients with chronic hepatitis C die annually from the most severe complications of the disease. One of them is liver cirrhosis, which occurs in about 20% of patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), which replaced interferon (IFN)-based regimens, significantly improved the prognosis of this group of patients, increasing HCV eradication rates and tolerability of therapy.

Rescue Therapy after Failure of HCV Antiviral Treatment with Interferon-Free Regimens.

Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) regimens have provided hope for eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Patients following ineffective therapy with DAA, especially those previously treated with inhibitors of non-structural protein 5A (NS5A), remain a challenge. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of DAA pangenotypic options in patients after failure of NS5A containing genotype-specific regimens.

Retrospective Analysis of the Effectiveness of Remdesivir in COVID-19 Treatment during Periods Dominated by Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Clinical Settings.

Continuous evaluation of real-world treatment effectiveness of COVID-19 medicines is required due to the ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the possible emergence of resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze, in a retrospective manner, the outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the pandemic waves dominated by Delta and Omicron variants and treated with remdesivir (RDV) ( = 762) in comparison to a demographically and clinically matched group not treated with any antivirals ( = 1060). A logistic regression analysis revealed that RDV treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of death during both Delta wave (OR = 0.

Decade of optimizing therapy with direct-acting antiviral drugs and the changing profile of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a major health problem affecting approximately 58 million people worldwide. In the era of interferon (IFN)-based regimens, patients particularly infected with genotypes 1 and 4 achieved a low response rate. The implementation of direct-acting antivirals changed the landscape of HCV treatment.

Genotype 4 hepatitis C virus-a review of a diverse genotype.

Purpose: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major health problem and one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. The purpose of this paper was to summarize knowledge about the epidemiology of HCV genotype (GT) 4 infection, similarities and differences with other genotypes, specific problems associated with this genotype, and treatment regimens used to treat GT4-infected patients.

Methods: We performed an accurate search for literature using the PubMed database to select high-quality reviews and original articles concerning this topic.

Differences between the course of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the periods of the Delta and Omicron variant dominance in Poland.

Introduction: Up to now, COVID‑19 caused more than 6 million deaths worldwide. So far, 5 variants of concerns have been identified, with Delta and Omicron being the subject of our analysis.

Objectives: We aimed to compare baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients hospitalized during the Delta and Omicron predominance in Poland.

The Course of COVID-19 in Patients with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.

Patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD) have increased susceptibility to viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to analyse the SARD patient population with COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) in terms of baseline characteristics, severity, course and outcomes of the disease compared with the non-SARD group, and to identify factors associated with prognosis, including remdesivir therapy efficacy. Retrospective study comprised 8220 COVID-19 cases from the SARSTer database, including 185 with SARD.

Best therapy for the easiest to treat hepatitis C virus genotype 1b-infected patients.

Background: The revolution in treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection dates back to the introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). The increase in efficacy was most pronounced in patients infected with genotype (GT) 1b, as this was the most poorly responsive population to treatment during the interferon era.

Aim: To identify the most effective interferon-free therapy for GT1b-infected patients and to determine positive and negative predictors of virological response.

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Strategies for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variant: Effectiveness and Future Prospects.

In the light of the lack of authorized COVID-19 vaccines adapted to the Omicron variant lineage, the administration of the first and second booster dose is recommended. It remains important to monitor the efficacy of such an approach in order to inform future preventive strategies. The present paper summarizes the research progress on the effectiveness of the first and second booster doses of COVID-19.

Clinical characteristics and antiviral therapy in patients infected with hepatitis C virus in the interferon‑free era.

Introduction: The highly effective and safe interferon (IFN)-free options were a breakthrough in the treatment of patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Objective: The current analysis was designed to evaluate changes in the patient profile and antiviral treatment characteristics over time.

Patients And Methods: The study population consisted of 963 consecutive HCV‑infected patients who started IFN‑free regimens between July 2015 and December 2020 in the Department of Infectious Diseases in Kielce, Poland.

Severe Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases during Six Months of Delta Variant (B.1.617.2) Domination in Poland.

The emergence of a highly transmissible and a more pathogenic B.1.617.