Soil contamination by and human seroprevalence in the Attica region, Greece.

Background: is one of the most widespread public health and economically important zoonotic parasitic infections humans share with canids, mainly dogs. Human infection occurs by the accidental ingestion of embryonated eggs or larvae from a range of wild and domestic paratenic hosts. The aim of the present study was to examine the soil contamination of public places by the parasitic ova and to estimate serologically the prevalence of human infection in the Attica region, Greece.

Boceprevir for chronic HCV genotype 1 infection in treatment-experienced patients with severe fibrosis or cirrhosis: The Greek real-life experience.

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of triple therapy using boceprevir (BOC) with pegylated interferon (pIFN)/ribavirin (RBV) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype 1 (G1) treatment-experienced patients with advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis.

Methods: We report the Greek experience on the first CHC patients who received BOC-based regimen. From September 2011 to June 2012, 26 treatment-experienced CHC patients and G1 with bridging fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis received 48 weeks of BOC+pIFN+RBV antiviral therapy.

Granulocyte colony stimulating factor in HCV genotype-1 patients who develop Peg-IFN-alpha2b related severe neutropenia: a preliminary report on treatment, safety and efficacy.

Dose reductions of Peg-IFNa because of severe neutropenia may affect the virologic response in patients with hepatitis C infection (HCV). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been used occasionally but studies addressing its safety and efficacy in the current treatment of HCV infection are missing. The database of 232 naïve patients with HCV genotype-1 who received PEG-IFNalpha2b 1.

Lamivudine monotherapy in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B: prediction of response-breakthrough and long-term clinical outcome.

Background: Factors that predict response and breakthrough phenomenon to lamivudine monotherapy in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B have not been well defined.

Aim: To determine pre-treatment and on treatment variables that predict initial response and breakthrough in patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B receiving long-term lamivudine.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients, with chronic HBeAg-negative hepatitis B, who received lamivudine for a median of 31 months were included in the study.

Clinical course of lamivudine monotherapy in patients with decompensated cirrhosis due to HBeAg negative chronic HBV infection.

Objectives: We have evaluated the efficacy of long-term lamivudine monotherapy in patients with decompensated HBeAg-negative/HBV-DNA positive cirrhosis.

Methods: We analyzed the clinical course and outcome of lamivudine treatment in 30 consecutive cirrhotics and compared with 30 HBV untreated historical HBeAg-negative controls matched for age and gender.

Results: Significant clinical improvement, defined as a reduction of at least two points in Child-Pugh score was observed in 23 of the 30 treated patients (76.