A territory-wide opportunistic, hospital-based HCV screening in the general population from northern Italy: The 1969-1989 birth-cohort.

Background And Aim: The World Health Organization (WHO) goal of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) elimination by 2030 rose awareness about the need of screening plans, worldwide. In Italy, graduated screening starting from people born in 1969-1989 might be the most-effective strategy. We performed an opportunistic HCV screening study in the general population attending health facilities in Lombardy region, Northern Italy.

CD133+ stem cell mobilization after partial hepatectomy depends on resection extent and underlying disease.

Background: Bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) can participate to liver regeneration. However, conflicting results have been reported on this topic in patients undergoing liver resection.

Aims: To assess the impact of liver resection extent and presence of underlying liver disease in modulating BMSC mobilization.

Portal vein thrombosis: insight into physiopathology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a relatively common complication in patients with liver cirrhosis, but might also occur in absence of an overt liver disease. Several causes, either local or systemic, might play an important role in PVT pathogenesis. Frequently, more than one risk factor could be identified; however, occasionally no single factor is discernable.

Orthotopic liver transplantation after successful treatment with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab) for severe steroid-resistant autoimmune hemolytic anemia: a case report.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with a wide number of immunologic disorders, ranging from clinically silent laboratory abnormalities (eg, autoantibody positivity) to severe systemic diseases (eg, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis). Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), due to the production of antibodies against erythrocyte membrane antigens, is an uncommon extrahepatic manifestation in the setting of chronic hepatitis C. Herein we have reported the case of a 57-year-old woman with decompensated HCV-related cirrhosis awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) who experienced severe AIHA.

Sustained virological responses following standard anti-viral therapy in decompensated HCV-infected cirrhotic patients.

Background: Little data is available about predictors of sustained virological response (SVR) during anti-viral therapy of patients with decompensated HCV cirrhosis.

Aims: To determine whether rapid and early virological responses (RVR and EVR) could predict SVR and help optimize treatment in these patients.

Methods: A total of 94 cirrhotics underwent treatment with peg-interferon alfa-2b (1.