Cigarette butts as a source of phenolic compounds for the environment.

Cigarette butts (CBs) are small residues with mixed composition. Produced in large amounts, their accumulation in the environment has become alarming. It is possible to classify more than 7000 chemical components generated either in the burning process or when distilled from the tobacco.

Transient Elastography as the First-Line Assessment of Liver Fibrosis and Its Correlation with Serum Markers.

: Recently, rapid progress has been made in the development of noninvasive methods for liver fibrosis assessment. The study aimed to assess the correlation between LSM and serum fibrosis markers to identify patients with advanced liver fibrosis in daily clinical practice. : Between 2017 and 2019, 89 patients with chronic liver disease of various etiology, 58 males and 31 females, were enrolled in the study and underwent ultrasound examination, vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE), AST to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI score), Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, and enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test.

Predictors of Significant Liver Fibrosis in People with Chronic Hepatitis C Who Inject Drugs in the Czech Republic.

Background And Objectives: HCV infection often remains untreated in people who inject drugs (PWID), albeit they may present with advanced liver fibrosis at a young age. We aimed to assess the rate of patients with significant fibrosis in PWID starting anti-HCV therapy and identify the factors associated with severe fibrosis.

Methods: The cohort of 200 patients was divided into two groups: F0-F2 (N = 154, 77%), patients with liver stiffness measurement (LSM) < 10.

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Liver Cirrhosis: MZ or MS Genotype Carriage Decreases the Risk.

Heterozygotes for Z or S alleles of alpha-1-antrypsin (AAT) have low serum AAT levels. Our aim was to compare the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis carrying the MM, MZ and MS genotypes. The study groups consisted of 1119 patients with liver cirrhosis of various aetiologies, and 3240 healthy individuals served as population controls.

Therapy of chronic hepatitis C in people who inject drugs: focus on adherence.

Background: Intravenous drug use (IVDU) represents the major factor of HCV transmission, but the treatment uptake among people who inject drugs (PWID) remains low owing to a false presumption of low efficacy. The aim of our study was to assess treatment efficacy in PWID and factors determining adherence to therapy.

Methods: A total of 278 consecutive patients starting DAA (direct-acting antivirals) therapy were included, divided into two groups: individuals with a history of IVDU, PWID group (N = 101) and the control group (N = 177) without a history of IVDU.

PNPLA3 rs738409 G allele carriers with genotype 1b HCV cirrhosis have lower viral load but develop liver failure at younger age.

Background: PNPLA3 rs738409 minor allele c.444G represents a risk factor for liver steatosis and fibrosis progression also in chronic hepatitis C (HCV). We investigated its impact on the timing of liver transplantation (LT) in patients with genotype 1b HCV cirrhosis.

IL28B rs12979860 T allele protects against CMV disease in liver transplant recipients in the post-prophylaxis and late period.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease represents a serious complication in liver transplant (OLT) recipients. CMV prophylaxis reduces incidence of CMV disease in the early post-transplant period (on-prophylaxis disease, OPD) but may postpone its manifestation after the completion of prophylaxis. Post-prophylaxis disease (PPD) incidence after prophylaxis cessation may be modified by genetic factors.

Paritaprevir/Ritonavir/Ombitasvir Plus Dasabuvir Regimen in the Treatment of Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Infection in Patients with Severe Renal Impairment and End-Stage Renal Disease: a Real-Life Cohort.

Background/aims: Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection reactivates under immunosuppressive drugs and therefore has a negative impact on long-term survival of kidney transplant recipients. Treatment-induced clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in kidney transplant candidates prevents virus reactivation after transplantation. Paritaprevir/Ritonavir/Ombitasvir with Dasabuvir (PrOD) represents a highly effective treatment regimen for HCV genotype 1 (GT1), also suitable for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Combination of sofosbuvir and daclatasvir in the treatment of genotype 3 chronic hepatitis C virus infection in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) has a negative impact on the long-term survival of recipients of kidney transplants. HCV should be treated in hemodialyzed patients before their enlistment for kidney transplantation in order to avoid the reactivation of virus after transplantation. Direct-acting antivirals represent the current standard of care in hemodialyzed patients with HCV genotypes 1 and 4; in patients with genotypes 2 or 3, the optimal regimen is yet to be established.

USP18 downregulation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells predicts nonresponse to interferon-based triple therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1: a pilot study.

Background And Aims: Patients with advanced liver fibrosis owing to chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 represent a difficult-to-treat group even if a protease inhibitor is added to pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin. Therefore, only patients with a high chance of cure should be treated with interferon-based treatment.

Patients And Methods: Expression of IFNG, IFNLR1, and interferon-sensitive genes CXCL9, IFI16, IFI27, ISG15, and USP18 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was assessed before and during the initial 12 weeks of treatment.

Relevance of low viral load in haemodialysed patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Aim: To identify predictors of sustained virological response in hemodialysed patients treated by PEGinterferon α for chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1.

Methods: The sustained virological response (SVR) rate, IL28B genotype, IFNL4 genotype, initial viral load (IVL) and other pretreatment variables in 39 end-stage renal disease patients (ESRD) on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), genotype 1b, were compared with a control group of 109 patients with normal kidney function treated within the same period. All the patients were treatment naïve and had well compensated liver disease.

[Caecal ligation and puncture in the minipig - a model of sepsis induction].

Background: Sepsis belongs among the most serious conditions and animal models of sepsis are the basic tools to investigate the pathophysiological response to this condition.

Material And Methods: A total of 16 adult minipigs with identical baseline parameters were randomized into two groups. In the sepsis group (n = 10), sepsis was induced using caecal ligation and puncture (CLP).