Antiviral regimen complexity index as an independent predictor of sustained virologic response in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects more than 170 million people worldwide, and one-third of them have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection. Multiple studies have been conducted in order to identify the factors that may explain different responses to treatment among patients. However, the reasons why HIV-HCV coinfected patients have lower responses to treatment are not clear.

Interobserver concordance in controlled attenuation parameter measurement, a novel tool for the assessment of hepatic steatosis on the basis of transient elastography.

Background: The combination of transient elastometry with a controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is available to evaluate hepatic steatosis (HS) along with liver stiffness.

Aims: To assess the concordance of CAP measurements between two independent observers in patients infected by HIV and/or hepatitis virus, as well as to determine the concordance of classification of the grade of HS using two cut-off values.

Materials And Methods: In a cross-sectional prospective study, CAP-enabled transient elastometry acquisitions were performed by two independent observers in patients with HIV or hepatitis virus infection.

A model to predict the response to therapy against hepatitis C virus (HCV) including low-density lipoprotein receptor genotype in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Objectives: Accurate prediction of sustained virological response (SVR) to pegylated interferon-α (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected patients could improve the management of these patients. We aimed to develop a model to predict SVR to Peg-IFN/ribavirin in HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals combining HCV genotype and baseline HCV RNA load with interleukin 28B and low-density lipoprotein receptor genetic variations.

Methods: Three hundred and twelve treatment-naive HIV/HCV-coinfected patients receiving Peg-IFN/ribavirin were analysed in an on-treatment approach.

Stepwise sequential screening for Down's syndrome (combined test associated with modified genetic sonography) in pregnant women with low risk for chromosomal disorders.

Objective: To assess the sensitivity (Sen) and false positive ratio (FPR) of stepwise sequential screening [1st step: combined test (CT), 2nd step: modified genetic sonography (major malformation and nuchal fold, MGS)] as a screening method for Down's syndrome (DS) in the general population of pregnant women.

Methods: Prospective study. During a 5-year study period (July 2005 to June 2010), 17,911 pregnant women were screened for DS using a stepwise sequential screening method (CT+MGS).

Evaluation of disk diffusion method compared to broth microdilution for antifungal susceptibility testing of 3 echinocandins against Aspergillus spp.

We tested the susceptibility of caspofungin, micafungin, and anidulafungin against Aspergillus spp. isolates by the new Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M51-A disk diffusion (DD) and the broth microdilution methods. A total of 65 clinical isolates of Aspergillus spp.

Contribution of "modified genetic sonography" to the combined test as a screening method for chromosomal abnormalities.

Objectives: We propose to assess the contribution of "modified genetic sonography" (MGS) to the combined test (CT) as a method of stepwise sequential screening (1st step: CT, 2nd step: MGS) for chromosome abnormalities in the general population of pregnant women.

Methods: Prospective study. During a 4 year study period (July 2005-June 2009) 16,548 pregnancies underwent a CT combined with MGS (major malformation and nuchal fold) as a screening method for chromosome abnormalities.

[Evaluation of the cobas 4800 CT/NG test for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis].

Introduction: To evaluate the new automated system cobas 4800 CT/NG test for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in urogenital specimens.

Material And Methods: We analyzed 696 specimens (488 swabs from urethral or cervical specimens, and 208 urines) to detect C. trachomatis.

Interobserver concordance in the assessment of liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients using transient elastometry.

Objectives: Although the reproducibility of transient elastometry (TE) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-monoinfected patients seems to be high, this may not be the case in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients because of different degrees of steatosis and/or inflammation. This study was aimed to determine the interobserver concordance of TE measurements in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients.

Methods: A total of 188 patients were evaluated in a cross-sectional, prospective study in two hospitals.

Comparison of E-Test, disk diffusion and a modified CLSI broth microdilution (M 38-A) method for in vitro testing of itraconazole, fluconazole and voriconazole against dermatophytes.

We compared two agar-based methods, the E-test and the disk diffusion method with the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) reference broth microdilution method (CLSI M38-A; MD). Forty six dermatophytes strains including 30 Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 8 T. rubrum and 8 M.

[Study of resistance using the TRUGENE HIV-1 genotyping system and analysis of agreement between rule-based algorithms and virtual phenotyping].

Introduction: This study attempts to describe the results obtained in the HIV resistance study performed with clinical samples obtained from patients receiving "HAART" therapy and to compare the results using different interpretation algorithms.

Methods: 397 samples have been analysed (TRUGENE HIV-1 GENOTYPING kit). The results were interpreted with the algorithms Visible Genetics and Retrogram.