Early treatment of COVID-19 with anakinra guided by soluble urokinase plasminogen receptor plasma levels: a double-blind, randomized controlled phase 3 trial.

Early increase of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) serum levels is indicative of increased risk of progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to respiratory failure. The SAVE-MORE double-blind, randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of anakinra, an IL-1α/β inhibitor, in 594 patients with COVID-19 at risk of progressing to respiratory failure as identified by plasma suPAR ≥6 ng ml, 85.9% (n = 510) of whom were receiving dexamethasone.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in an Adult (MIS-A) Successfully Treated with Anakinra and Glucocorticoids.

During the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a novel syndrome termed "multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children" (MIS-C) has emerged. MIS-C was linked to COVID-19 and shared some features with Kawasaki disease and Toxic Shock Syndrome, with a common pathogenetic substrate of hyperinflammation and cytokine storm. Lately, MIS was also described in adults (≥21 years of age) and named "MIS-A".

Potential Parasitic Causes of Epilepsy in an Onchocerciasis Endemic Area in the Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

A high burden of epilepsy is observed in Africa where parasitological infections are endemic. In 2016, in an Onchocerciasis endemic area in the Logo health zone, in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a door-to-door study showed an epilepsy prevalence of 4.6%, and 50.

Effect of ABCC2 and ABCG2 Gene Polymorphisms and CSF-to-Serum Albumin Ratio on Ceftriaxone Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Concentrations.

We measured ceftriaxone pharmacokinetics in patients' plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and assessed the influence of biometric, demographic, genetic (ABCB1, ABCC2, ABCB11, ABCG2, and SLCO1A2 polymorphisms) and pathological features. Adult patients with signs and symptoms of central nervous system infections, receiving intravenous ceftriaxone, were enrolled. Ceftriaxone plasma and CSF concentrations were measured by high-precision liquid chromatographic methods; allelic discrimination was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Pharmacogenetic analysis of hepatitis C virus related mixed cryoglobulinemia.

Aim: Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is an extra hepatic hepatitis C virus related problem and different studies suggested genetics' role in predicting this complication. We evaluated the influence of SNPs in IL-28B, SLC29A1, SLC28A2, NT5C2, HNF4 and ABCB1 genes in MC prediction.

Patients & Methods: SNPs were evaluated through real-time PCR.

Association of vitamin D pathway SNPs and clinical response to interferon in a cohort of HBeAg-negative patients.

Aim: Vitamin D modulates biological processes; an influence of vitamin D levels and genetic variants was identified concerning hepatitis B virus infection. We evaluated the role of some SNPs of vitamin D pathway genes in some clinical features of hepatitis B affected patients treated with pegylated interferon.

Methods: We investigated SNPs in IL-28B, CYP27B1, CYP27A1, CYP24A1, VDBP and VDR genes, through real-time PCR.

Treatment with PEG-IFN and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C, low grade of hepatic fibrosis, genotype 1 and 4 and favorable IFNL3 genotype: A pharmacogenetic prospective study.

The new direct-acting antivirals agents (DAAs) rapidly changed the treatment approach in chronic hepatitis C (CHC); however, the interferon (IFN)-free therapies availability is currently different in some countries, due to higher costs of these drugs. Naïve treated patients, who are not eligible for IFN-free therapies, could be selected for standard dual treatment with pegylated (PEG)-IFN and ribavirin (RBV), through IFN lambda 3 gene polymorphisms and fibrosis stage evaluation. Inclusion criteria were: naïve treated CHC patients with GT1 or GT4, without major contraindication to PEG-IFN or RBV, with fibrosis stage F0-F2 and IFNL3 rs8099917/rs12979860 TT/CC genotypes.

Treatment with daclatasvir and sofosbuvir for 24 weeks without ribavirin in cirrhotic patients who failed first-generation protease inhibitors.

Background: Treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed the triple therapy with first generation of protease inhibitors is not still defined. The combined use of sofosbuvir (SOF) and daclatasvir (DCV) seems to be promising due to higher genetic barrier, good tolerance and effectiveness.

Methods: We described the treatment with this drug combination in a real-life cohort of 20 cirrhotic patients with genotype 1 who failed the triple therapy.

Vitamin D pathway gene polymorphisms as predictors of hepatitis C virus-related mixed cryoglobulinemia.

Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is the most frequent extrahepatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) complication. Vitamin D is a modulator of several biological processes, including immune and skeletal systems and MC presence and systemic vasculitis were associated independently with low levels of vitamin D. Considering the impact of vitamin D, we aimed to evaluate the role of some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of vitamin D pathway genes in the prediction of MC in HCV patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

A UHPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of direct antiviral agents simeprevir, daclatasvir, ledipasvir, sofosbuvir/GS-331007, dasabuvir, ombitasvir and paritaprevir, together with ritonavir, in human plasma.

To date, the new standard for treatment of chronic hepatitis C is based on the administration of novel direct acting antivirals. Among these, sofosbuvir, simeprevir, daclatasvir, ledipasvir, dasabuvir, ombitasvir and paritaprevir already entered the clinical use. Anyway, since few pharmacokinetic studies have been conducted on these drugs in a "real life" context poor knowledge is available about their optimal therapeutic range.

Infections caused by KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae: differences in therapy and mortality in a multicentre study.

Objectives: Infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) carbapenemase (KPC)-producing strains of Kp have become a significant threat in recent years. To assess their outcomes and identify risk factors for 14 day mortality, we conducted a 4 year (2010-13) retrospective cohort study in five large Italian teaching hospitals.

Methods: The cohort included 661 adults with bloodstream infections (BSIs; n = 447) or non-bacteraemic infections (lower respiratory tract, intra-abdominal structure, urinary tract or other sites) caused by a KPC-Kp isolate.

Different HBsAg decline after 3 years of therapy with entecavir in patients affected by chronic hepatitis B HBeAg-negative and genotype A, D and E.

The role of measurement of hepatitis B "s" antigen (HBsAg) during the therapy with oral nucleos(t)ide analogues is still debatable. The HBsAg declines after 3 years of therapy with entecavir (ETV) was investigated among patients affected by hepatitis B virus (HBV), e antigen (HBeAg)-negative and genotypes A, D and E. A prospective cohort of 123 patients was enrolled consecutively from April 2007 to May 2010 with at least 3 years of treatment with ETV.

Telaprevir-S isomer enhances ribavirin exposure and the ribavirin-related haemolytic anaemia in a concentration-dependent manner.

The standard-of-care for the treatment of genotype-1 chronic hepatitis C is based on the combination of direct acting antivirals, such as boceprevir and telaprevir, with ribavirin and pegylated-interferon alfa. These triple regimens give a higher response rate than dual therapy, but on the other hand show a more than 10% higher rate of anaemia. Not enough focus has been given to the interaction between telaprevir and RBV.