COVID-19 in liver transplant recipients: incidence, hospitalization and outcome in an Italian prospective double-centre study.

Liver transplant (LT) recipients are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2-infection (COVID-19), due to immunosuppression and comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on LT recipients compared to general population in the Campania region. In this prospective double-centre study, we enrolled all consecutive adult LT recipients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infection.

Humoral Response to 2-dose BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination in Liver Transplant Recipients.

Background & Aims: In the context of the Italian severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination program, liver transplant (LT) recipients were prioritized for vaccine administration, although the lower response to vaccines is a well-known problem in this population. We aimed to evaluate immunogenicity of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in LT recipients and healthy controls and to identify factors associated with negative response to vaccine.

Methods: In a cohort of adult patients with LT, we prospectively evaluated the humoral response (with anti-Spike protein IgG-LIAISON SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2-IgG chemiluminescent assay) at 1 and 3 months after 2-dose vaccination.

Switch from intravenous or intramuscular to subcutaneous hepatitis B immunoglobulin: effect on quality of life after liver transplantation.

Background: Hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) therapy is available in intravenous (IV) or intra-muscular (IM) formulations. Recently, a subcutaneous (SC) formulation was introduced. This study evaluated changes in quality of life when liver transplant (LT) recipients were switched from IV or IM HBIG to the SC formulation.

Radiofrequency ablation versus laser ablation for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis: a randomized trial.

Background And Aim: In patients with cirrhosis and small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), thermal ablation is currently recognized as an effective local treatment. Among thermal procedures, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the most diffusely used and is the standard against which any new treatment should be compared. In retrospective studies, laser ablation (LA) resulted as safe and effective as RFA.

Safety and effectiveness of sorafenib in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in clinical practice.

Background: Sorafenib is currently the only approved systemic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: to evaluate safety and effectiveness of sorafenib in the field of practice.

Methods: We report a single-centre experience on 116 advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib between February 2008 and March 2011.

Peginterferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin is more effective than peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for treating chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Background & Aims: Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are frequently treated with a combination of pegylated interferon (peginterferon) and ribavirin. This study compared the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a and peginterferon alfa-2b, each in combination with ribavirin.

Methods: A total of 320 consecutive, treatment-naive, HCV RNA-positive patients with chronic hepatitis were randomly assigned to once-weekly peginterferon alfa-2a (180 microg, group A) or peginterferon alfa-2b (1.

Effect of alcohol, cigarette smoking, and diabetes on occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with transfusion-acquired hepatitis C virus infection who develop cirrhosis.

Aim: Alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, and diabetes have been claimed as risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in case-control studies. The aim of this study was to define the impact of these risk factors on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis.

Methods: A historical cohort of 138 patients with posttransfusion hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis was selected by reviewing all files of patients referred to our liver unit.

Sustained virological response to antiviral therapy reduces mortality in HCV reinfection after liver transplantation.

Background/aims: HCV infection recurs almost in all HCV-positive patients receiving liver transplantation and carries a poor prognosis. Aim of this study was to analyze efficacy and effect on survival of antiviral therapy in this clinical setting.

Methods: Pegylated-interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin were administered at a dose of 1 microg/kg of bwt weekly and 600-800 mg/day.

Hepatic splenosis misinterpreted as hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients referred for liver transplantation: report of two cases.

Liver transplantation is one of the main therapeutic options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring in cirrhotic patients; an accurate diagnosis and staging of this cancer is crucial to selecting the candidates for this treatment. Although the best diagnostic strategy is debated, the guidelines proposed by the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) are used by many centers. We report 2 cases of cirrhotic patients with hepatic splenosis, a rare condition that may be misinterpreted as HCC.

Three cases of severe acute hepatitis after parenteral administration of amiodarone: the active ingredient is not the only agent responsible for hepatotoxicity.

Amiodarone is one of the most effective antiarrhythmic drugs available and is widely prescribed despite several potentially life-threatening side-effects. Hepatotoxicity is the most frequent one during long-term oral therapy: occasionally acute hepatitis necessitates the suspension of treatment but monitoring of a transient increase in serum aminotransferases is usually sufficient; the clinical-morphological pictures of liver cirrhosis have also been reported. Fulminant hepatitis soon after a parenteral load of the drug is far less well described in the literature.

Incidence of side effects during therapy with different types of alpha interferon: a randomised controlled trial comparing recombinant alpha 2b versus leukocyte interferon in the therapy of naive patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Alpha interferon (IFN) alone or in combination with Ribavirin (RBV) is the treatment of choice for HCV related chronic liver disease. There are many types of alpha IFN and to date only few reports are available comparing different types of alpha interferon. We run a randomised controlled trial with the aim to compare tolerability and efficacy of two different types of IFN: recombinant alpha 2b interferon (IFN-R) and leukocyte alpha n-3 interferon (IFN-L) at the same dosage of 3 MU subcutaneously thrice weekly for one year.