Discharge ward during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an effective way to increase patient turnover when human resources are scarce.

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the province of Brescia (Italy) had a significant number of COVID-19 cases, which led to a subversion of the ordinary structure of the university hospital ASST Spedali Civili, driven by the need to hospitalize as many patients as possible in a narrow period of time. At the peak of the epidemic, a rapid hospitalization discharge area, the Discharge Ward (DW), was set up with the aim of facilitating the rapid turnover of patients in the wards where the most severe patients had to be hospitalized. The organization and activities carried out are described in the results of this reproducible experience during epidemic events.

The burden of chronic diseases and cost-of-care in subjects with HIV infection in a Health District of Northern Italy over a 12-year period compared to that of the general population.

Background: The increase in life expectancy of HIV-infected patients has driven increased costs due to life-long HIV treatment and concurrent age-related comorbidities. This population-based study aimed to investigate the burden of chronic diseases and health costs for HIV subjects compared to the general population living in Brescia Local health Agency (LHA) over a 12-year period.

Methods: LHA database recorded diagnoses, deaths, drug prescriptions and health resource utilization for all residents during 2003-2014.

The prognostic role of systemic inflammatory markers on HIV-infected patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a multicenter cohort study.

Background: The systemic inflammatory response has been postulated as having prognostic significance in a wide range of different cancer types. We aimed to assess the prognostic role of inflammatory markers on survival in HIV-infected patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), and to compute a prognostic score based on inflammatory biomarkers.

Methods: We evaluated data on HIV patients with NLH diagnosis between 1998 and 2012 in a HIV Italian Cohort.

[A population-based database to study malignancies in HIV-infected patients in the Local Health Unit of Brescia (Northern Italy), period 1999-2009].

Objective: to complete the database of all patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who lives in the area belonging to the Local Health Unit (ASL) of Brescia, Northern Italy,with all the cancers diagnosed in the period 1999-2009.

Design: diagnoses of cancer between 1999 and 2009 registered in the electronic database in use in the Clinic of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (source A) for the clinic follow-up of HIV-infected patients were checked. Then, the cases were integrated with the data recorded in the ASL database (source B) and in the Cancer Registry of Brescia (source C).

Expression of interleukin-15 and interleukin-15Rα in monocytes of HIV type 1-infected patients with different courses of disease progression.

Interleukin-15 (IL-15) enhances the effector mechanisms of anti-HIV immune responses and thus is considered a potential adjuvant of HIV-1 vaccine. However, there are a lack of data concerning the relationships between IL-15 expression and regulation in HIV-1-infected patients and the course of disease progression. We found that IL-15, but not IL-15Rα, is expressed at significantly higher levels in the CD14(+) monocytes [stimulated or not with interferon (IFN)-γ] of long-term nonprogressors (LTNP) than in those of HIV-1 progressors or healthy controls.

Prevalence and risk factors for etravirine resistance among patients failing on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Background: Prevalence and factors associated with etravirine (EW) resistance mutations among patients failing on first-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) merit investigation.

Methods: The study comprised an analysis of all sequential patients attending the Institute of Infectious Diseases (Brescia, northern Italy) who performed a genotypic resistance testing (GRT) after > or =3 months of a stable NNRTI-based regimen between 2001 and 2006. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictors of ETV resistance mutations.

Updated prevalence of genotypic resistance among HIV-1 positive patients naïve to antiretroviral therapy: a single center analysis.

Continuous surveillance of HIV primary resistance mutations is highly important due to their potential clinical impact. All patients naïve to antiretrovirals who had > or =1 genotypic resistance testing at the Institute of Infectious Diseases (Brescia, Northern Italy) between 2001 and 2006 were analyzed. Primary resistance mutations were defined using epidemiological and clinical criteria.

Analysis of severe hepatic events associated with nevirapine-containing regimens: CD4+ T-cell count and gender in hepatitis C seropositive and seronegative patients.

Background: Nevirapine-containing regimens have been associated with a risk of significant elevations of liver transaminase levels. Higher risk in antiretroviral-naive populations has been related to gender and CD4+ T-cell count (women with CD4+ T-cell counts of > or =250/mm(3) or men with CD4+ T-cell counts of > or =400/mm(3), i.e.

Impact of lamivudine on the risk of liver-related death in 2,041 HBsAg- and HIV-positive individuals: results from an inter-cohort analysis.

Background: The impact of lamivudine (3TC) as part of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) on the risk of liver-related death (LRD) in HIV/hepatitis B virus (HBV)-coinfected patients has not been extensively studied.

Methods: We performed an analysis involving HIV/HBV-coinfected patients in 13 cohorts who initiated cART. The end-point was LRD--that is, death with concomitant decompensated liver disease (DLD) or hepatocellular carcinoma--as the main cause.

Influence of hepatitis C genotypes on lipid levels in HIV-positive patients during highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Background: The independent role of HCV genotype 3 (HCV-3) in dyslipidaemia following highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is still unexplored.

Methods: Analysis of data from a cohort of 307 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients and 415 HIV-monoinfected controls was conducted. Patients with available lipid levels at baseline and minimum 3-month follow-up were ranked into three groups by HCV status (HCV-3, other HCV genotypes or HCV negative).

Exploratory analysis for the evaluation of lopinavir/ritonavir-versus efavirenz-based HAART regimens in antiretroviral-naive HIV-positive patients: results from the Italian MASTER Cohort.

Objective: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study compared the virological and immunological responses to highly active antiretroviral therapy containing either efavirenz or lopinavir/ritonavir in previously antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients.

Patients And Methods: A total of 472 patients were selected (348 efavirenz and 124 lopinavir/ritonavir). The primary endpoint of this study was virological success (HIV RNA <50 copies/mL).

A randomized, controlled trial of triple antiviral therapy as initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients.

Background/aims: Interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C induces a low response rate in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. To assess the impact of intensification of interferon administration and of the addition of amantadine on the efficacy and safety of standard anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in HIV-infected patients.

Methods: Multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomized, phase III clinical trial.