Diagnostic accuracy of enhanced liver fibrosis test to assess liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: The prognosis and clinical management of patients with chronic liver diseases are closely related to the severity of liver fibrosis. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard for the staging of liver fibrosis. However, it is an invasive test sometimes related to complications.

Initial experience with hepatic intraarterial fotemustine and interferon alpha 2b combination for treatment of liver tumors.

Background: Locoregional treatments represent a good option for patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) not eligible for resection or transplantation. Locoregional approaches include a wide spectrum of therapeutic methods and hepatic intra-arterial drug infusion is also considered. Fotemustine is a chemotherapy drug usually administered intravenously according to standard administration schedules.

High frequency of chronic bacterial and non-inflammatory prostatitis in infertile patients with prostatitis syndrome plus irritable bowel syndrome.

Background: Although prostatitis syndrome (PS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common disorders, information on the prevalence of IBS in infertile patients with PS is relatively scanty. Therefore, this study was undertaken to estimate the frequency of PS and IBS and to evaluate the prevalence of the various diagnostic categories of prostatitis.

Methodology/principal Findings: This study enrolled 152 patients with PS, diagnosed by the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) in an andrological setting, and 204 patients with IBS, diagnosed according to the Rome III diagnostic criteria in a gastroenterological setting.

Sperm output in patients with primary infertility and hepatitis B or C virus; negative influence of HBV infection during concomitant varicocele.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the sperm abnormalities in young infertile patients with hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) virus infection and to evaluate the additional negative influence of varicocele on sperm parameters in these patients.

Methods: Part I. Forty-two infertile patients in Child-Pugh classification A with HBV (n=23) or HCV (n=19) infection, underwent sperm analysis and quantitative detection of HBV-DNA or HCV-RNA in blood serum.

Thymostimulin in the treatment of hepatitis B surface antigen-positive chronic active hepatitis. Controlled clinical trial--two years follow-up.

In this paper results obtained with thymostimulin (TP-1 Serono) in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive chronic active hepatitis after 2 years follow-up are reported. The favourable trend observed in a previous trial was confirmed after a longer observation period, most patients showing a significant amelioration of clinical, biochemical and histological parameters, with respect to control group. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) serology, too, showed a significantly higher rate of seroconversion and antigen disappearance in treated patients.