Publications by authors named "Francesco Losito"
The minor G-allele of FOXO3 rs2802292 is associated with human longevity. The aim of this study was to test the protective effect of the variant against the association with type 2 Diabetes and NAFLD. rs2802292 was genotyped in a large population of middle-aged subjects (n = 650) from a small city in Southern Italy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is typically a self-limiting, acute illness that spreads through the gastrointestinal tract but replicates in the liver. However, chronic infections are possible in immunocompromised individuals. The HEV virion has two shapes: exosome-like membrane-associated quasi-enveloped virions (eHEV) found in circulating blood or in the supernatant of infected cell cultures and non-enveloped virions ("naked") found in infected hosts' feces and bile to mediate inter-host transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Patients with chronic liver disease are highly prone to acquiring influenza infection diseases and experiencing associated complications. National and international guidelines recommend the influenza vaccine for patients with liver disorders to reduce the risk of influenza complications. Our study aims to evaluate the risk of flu complications faced by patients with liver disease and assess influenza vaccination coverage.
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- The study investigates the safety and effectiveness of obeticholic acid (OCA) in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) who have advanced cirrhosis.
- Factors such as male sex, INR levels, Child-Pugh score, MELD score, and bilirubin levels were linked to non-response and serious adverse events (SAEs) in patients taking OCA.
- The findings suggest that careful baseline evaluations, especially bilirubin levels above 1.4 mg/dl, are essential in determining which patients can safely benefit from OCA treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Obeticholic acid (OCA) is an effective second-line treatment for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients who do not respond well to ursodeoxycholic acid.
- A study involving 191 patients showed significant reductions in liver enzyme levels after 12 months of OCA treatment, though patients with cirrhosis had lower response rates and a higher discontinuation rate due to adverse effects.
- Overall, the real-world effectiveness and safety of OCA align with earlier clinical trials, indicating potential benefits for certain patient subgroups, including those with overlap PBC-AIH.
Article Synopsis
- A pilot study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of peginterferon alfa-2a combined with ribavirin in chronic HCV patients on haemodialysis who are waiting for kidney transplants.
- Thirty-five patients were treated while a matched group of 35 remained untreated, with notable results showing 97% of treated patients had undetectable HCV RNA at the end of treatment, compared to none in the control group.
- The findings suggest that peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin can successfully treat HCV in dialysis patients, marking a significant step forward for this patient population.