Clinical relevance of serum non-organ-specific antibodies in patients with HCV infection receiving direct-acting antiviral therapy.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with production of different serum non-organ-specific antibodies (NOSA) and risk for developing autoimmune disorders. The clinical significance of these phenomena is not fully understood.

Aim: To assess non-organ-specific antibodies before and 24 weeks after the end of therapy with direct-acting antivirals in patients with HCV-related infection, to better clarify the clinical relevance of these antibodies in terms of treatment response and prognostic value.

Hepatitis C in the elderly: a multicentre cross-sectional study by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver.

Background: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection increases with advancing age, but elderly hepatitis C virus patients remain an understudied population.

Aim: To define the virological, epidemiological and clinical profiles of Italian outpatients aged 65 years and over infected by hepatitis C virus.

Methods: We evaluated 1544 anti-hepatitis C virus positive patients aged ≥65 years referred to 34 Italian outpatient specialty clinics over a two-year period.