Severe Liver-Related Outcomes in Patients With Hepatitis Delta: Results From a Multi-Ethnic Multicenter Long-Term Follow-Up Study.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-hepatitis delta virus (HDV) coinfection is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, but the factors that determine disease progression and severity are incompletely characterised. This long-term follow-up study aims to identify risk factors for severe liver-related outcomes. In this multicentre national cohort study, data from admission until the last visit between 2001 and 2023 was retrospectively collected from 162 HBV-HDV coinfected patients.

Viral clade is associated with severity of symptomatic genotype 3 hepatitis E virus infections in Belgium, 2010-2018.

Background & Aims: HEV genotype (gt) 3 infections are prevalent in high-income countries and display a wide spectrum of clinical presentations. Host - but not viral - factors are reported to be associated with worse clinical outcomes.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and biochemical data laboratory-confirmed HEV infections (by PCR and/or a combination of IgM and IgG serology) at the Belgian National Reference Centre between January 2010 and June 2018 were collected using standardised case report forms.

Hepatitis C reinfection in former and active injecting drug users in Belgium.

Background: There is currently no systematic screening for hepatitis C (HCV) reinfection in people who inject drugs (PWID) after treatment in Belgium. However, in a recent meta-analysis, the overall HCV reinfection rate was 5.9/100 person-years (PY) among PWID.

Characteristics of patients with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus dual infection in a Western European country: Comparison with monoinfected patients.

Unlabelled: The epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is continuously evolving. Updated data on dual HBV and HCV infection are still needed.

Aims: To assess the main characteristics of patients with HBV and HCV dual infection, to compare these with those of patients infected with either HBV or HCV and, among patients with dual infection, to assess fibrosis according to HCV replication.

Belgian experience with direct acting antivirals in people who inject drugs.

Background And Aim: Hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) has become a curable disease due to the development of direct acting antivirals (DAA). The WHO has set a target to eliminate HCV completely. Therefore, people who inject drugs (PWID) also need to be treated.

The risk of early occurrence and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C-infected patients treated with direct-acting antivirals with and without pegylated interferon: A Belgian experience.

Recently, concerns were raised of high rates of HCC recurrence in patients treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) for hepatitis C infection. We investigated the HCC occurrence and recurrence rates within 6 months after treatment with DAA with or without pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) in real life. This is a retrospective, multicenter cohort trial, executed in 15 hospitals distributed across Belgium.

Sofosbuvir in Combination with Simeprevir +/- Ribavirin in Genotype 4 Hepatitis C Patients with Advanced Fibrosis or Cirrhosis: A Real-World Experience from Belgium.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major global health issue and successful treatment has been associated with a reduction of risk of all-cause mortality. Advancements have been made in HCV treatment through the use of interferon-free regimens. Most trials have been conducted in HCV genotype (GT) 1 and data for interferon-free regimens in GT4 patients are limited.

Alcohol intake increases the risk of HCC in hepatitis C virus-related compensated cirrhosis: A prospective study.

Background & Aims: Whether alcohol intake increases the risk of complications in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of alcohol intake and viral eradication on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), decompensation of cirrhosis and death.

Methods: Data on alcohol intake and viral eradication were prospectively collected in 192 patients with compensated HCV-related cirrhosis.

Intensive Enteral Nutrition Is Ineffective for Patients With Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis Treated With Corticosteroids.

Background & Aims: Severe alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a life-threatening disease for which adequate oral nutritional support is recommended. We performed a randomized controlled trial to determine whether the combination of corticosteroid and intensive enteral nutrition therapy is more effective than corticosteroid therapy alone in patients with severe AH.

Methods: We enrolled 136 heavy consumers of alcohol (age, 18-75 y) with recent onset of jaundice and biopsy-proven severe AH in our study, performed at 18 hospitals in Belgium and 2 in France, from February 2010 through February 2013.

Ethnic epidemiological profiles and antiviral therapy among patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 4: a multicenter study from Belgium.

Background: Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV-4) is the most prevalent genotype in Central Africa.

Aim: To compare epidemiology, clinical characteristics and any differences in access to HCV therapy in two populations of HCV-4 patients residing in Belgium.

Methods: This multicenter study selected 473 HCV-4 patients from seven hospital databases and compared them according to ethnic origin, i.

Belgian experience with triple therapy with boceprevir and telaprevir in genotype 1 infected patients who inject drugs.

No data have been reported yet on treatment outcome in persons who inject drugs (PWID) infected with hepatitis C virus treated with boceprevir or telaprevir in combination with peginterferon (Peg IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). Additionally, there are concerns about the safety of boceprevir and telaprevir in some subgroups of patients with hepatitis C (HCV). In a cohort of HCV patients infected with genotype 1 in Belgium, treatment outcome of patients infected due to IV drug use was analyzed and compared with patients who have no history of substance use.

Characteristics, treatment, and virologic responses of chronic hepatitis C patients treated with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in belgium: a sub-analysis of the PROPHESYS study.

Background And Study Aims: PROPHESYS was a prospective, international cohort study of monoinfected, treatment-naive chronic hepatitis C patients treated with a combination of peginterferon alfa-2a or alfa-2b and ribavirin.It included worldwide 7,163 patients from 19 countries (including 384 patients from Belgium alone) and demonstrated that sustained virologic response rates in the real world were similar to those achieved in well-controlled clinical trials. The objective of this sub-analysis was to present an overview of the baseline characteristics, anti-hepatitis C drug treatment, and virologic responses of the patients treated in Belgium, infected with HCV genotype 1, 2, 3, or 4, and administered pegin-terferon alfa-2a.

Response of Black African patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 4 to treatment with peg-interferon and ribavirin.

Aim: To compare responses to therapy of Black African (BA) and non-Black African (non- BA) patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 4 (HCV-4) residing in Belgium.

Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, 473 patients with HCV-4 were selected from databases at 7 Belgian centers; 209 treatment-naive patients (154 BA) had received treatment with peg-interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) and were included in the study.

Results: There was a greater percentage of female patients in the BA group than in the non- BA group; BA patients were also older, had a greater body mass index, and more frequently had abnormal glucose metabolism.

Control of AA amyloidosis complicating Crohn's disease: a clinico-pathological study.

Background: Immunosuppressive drugs may prevent or partially reverse progression of renal AA-amyloidosis, a rare complication of Crohn's disease, often fatal due to renal failure.

Materials And Methods: The clinical, biological and pathological data of 16 patients treated since 1976 were reviewed. Serum amyloid A was determined in surviving patients.

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections in Belgium: similarities and differences in epidemics and initial management.

Introduction: Nationwide studies comparing patients with hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infections are mandatory for assessing changes in epidemiology.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare epidemiological data and initial management of newly diagnosed patients with persistent HBV (HBsAg positive) or HCV (detectable HCV RNA) infection in Belgium.

Patients And Methods: Data were extracted from two Belgian observational databases.

HBV infection in Belgium: results of the BASL observatory of 1,456 HBsAg carriers.

Introduction: Nationwide studies are mandatory to assess changes in the epidemiology of HBV infection in Europe.

Aim: To describe epidemiological characteristics of HBsAg-positive patients, especially inactive carriers, and to evaluate how practitioners manage HBV patients in real life.

Methods: Belgian physicians were asked to report all chronically infected HBV patients during a one-year period.

High prevalence of advanced fibrosis in association with the metabolic syndrome in a Belgian prospective cohort of NAFLD patients with elevated ALT. Results of the Belgian NAFLD registry.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognised as a source of liver related morbidity and mortality. Hard data on epidemiology and natural history are scarce.

Aim: To study demographic and metabolic characteristics of the NAFLD patients seen by Belgian hepatologists.

Hepatitis C genotype 4 response rate to pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment in Belgium is similar to genotype 1.

Background And Aims: Patients with genotype 4 (G4) chronic hepatitis C from the Middle East respond better to treatment than genotype 1 (G1) patients. There are few data on the response rates to treatment of G4 patients living in Western Europe. Many G4 patients in Belgium originate from Central Africa, and their response to treatment seems lower.

A pilot observational survey of hepatitis C in Belgium.

Aim Of The Study: There is a lack of epidemiological data on hepatitis C (HCV) infected patients in Belgium. Therefore our purpose was to address this important question and to evaluate the feasibility of a national HCV observatory.

Patients And Methods: From November 2003 to November 2004, every new patient prospectively seen for HCV antibody positivity in 9 Belgian hospital centres was recorded and a standardised 10-items questionnaire was completed during the consultation, including a Quality of Live (QOL) visual analogue scale.

Daily induction combination treatment with alpha 2b interferon and ribavirin or standard combination treatment in naive chronic hepatitis C patients. A multicentre randomized controlled trial.

The standard treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C is a 6-12-month combination therapy with interferon alpha and ribavirin. Induction treatment could result in a faster early decline of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) load and a better response rate. Naive chronically infected HCV patients (n = 454) were randomized into two arms to receive either induction treatment with interferon alpha 2b 5 million units (MU) subcutaneously (s.

Liver damage caused by therapeutic vitamin A administration: estimate of dose-related toxicity in 41 cases.

Clinical presentation, changes in liver function test results, and liver morphology were examined in 41 consecutive patients with vitamin A hepatoxicity. The cause of liver disease was suspected at initial interview in only 13 instances, whereas histological evidence of fat-storing cell hyperplasia with fluorescent vacuoles led to the diagnosis in the remaining cases. Cirrhosis was found in 17, mild chronic hepatitis in 10, noncirrhotic portal hypertension in 5, and "increased storage" alone in 9 cases.

Collagenous colitis: a transient condition? Report of two cases.

We have seen two patients with watery diarrhea whose work-up revealed a collagenous infiltration beneath the rectal epithelium. Within a year, symptoms disappeared in both. Repeated rectal biopsy revealed the disappearance of the collagen layer.