Trends of Late Presentation to Care in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C during a 10-Year Period in Croatia.

Late presentation to care is the major obstacle to receiving treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Our aim was to analyze the prevalence and trends of late presenters (LP) at first consultations in Croatia during a 10-year period. This retrospective cross-sectional study included all adult CHC patients ( = 854) entering specialist medical care at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases Zagreb between 2009 and 2018.

Human Alveolar Echinococcosis, Croatia.

Alveolar echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by the tapeworm larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis. This zoonotic disease has not been known to occur in Croatia. We report a confirmed case of human alveolar echinococcosis in a patient in Croatia who had never visited a known E.

Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes and subtypes in Croatia: 2008-2015.

Objective: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping is an important part of pre-treatment diagnostic algorithms as it guides the choice of therapeutic regimens. The aim of this study was to analyse the distribution of HCV genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis C from Croatia in the period 2008-2015.

Methods: The study enrolled 3,655 anti-HCV positive patients with available results of HCV genotyping from the three largest national HCV genotyping laboratories.

Treatment of Elderly Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C increases in elderly patients. The aims of this study were to identify the factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and end-stage liver disease development and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFNα) plus ribavirin (RBV) therapy in elderly patients. A retrospective cohort study included all consecutive pa-tients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with PEG-IFNα+RBV between 2003 and 2013.

[Treatment guidelines for patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C infection].

Dual therapy based on the combination of pegylated interferon-alpha 2a or 2b (PEG IFN-alpha2) and ribavirin has been considered standard-of-care treatment for chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 up to 2011. The first generation of protease inhibitors, boceprevir and telaprevir, have been approved for clinical use in Europe and USA since 2011. Therefore, national guidelines for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 have been updated to include new and more efficient therapeutic options.

[Viralhepatitis. Croatian Consensus Statement 2013].

Croatian Consensus Conferences on Viral Hepatitis took place in 2005 and 2009. Considering the numerous novel concepts on the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of viral hepatitis (chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 in particular) that have emerged in the past four years, a new Croatian Consensus Conference on Viral Hepatitis was held in Zagreb on February 28, 2013. The abridged text of the Croatian Consensus Conference on Viral Hepatitis 2013 presents the new concepts on the epidemiology of viral hepatitis, serologic and molecular diagnosis of viral hepatitis, determination of the IL-28 gene promoter polymorphism, fibrosis grading, algorithm for patient diagnostic follow up, treatment of chronic hepatitis C (genotypes 1-6) and hepatitis B, treatment of special populations (children, dialysis patients, transplanted patients, individuals with HIV/HCV co-infection), and therapy side effects.

Chemokine CXCL10 at week 4 of treatment predicts sustained virological response in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

The aim of this study was to analyze the predictive value of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11 concentrations before and after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment with pegylated interferon-α2b and ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with the hepatitis C virus genotype 1. The study included 46 adult patients (29 women and 17 men). Chemokine quantification in the serum was performed at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment by enzyme immunoassay.

Intravenous Drug Users Can Achieve a High Sustained Virological Response Rate: experience From Croatian Reference Center for Viral Hepatitis.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major infectious disease agents among injecting drug users (IVDUs). However, most of the IVDUs are not still treated.

Objectives: To examine the treatment course, adherence, tolerability and safety profiles and SVR rates in IVDUs compared to non-IVDUs.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Croatian war veterans: experiences from Croatian reference center for viral hepatitis.

Aim: To examine the risk factors, comorbidity, severity of liver disease, treatment course, and outcome in Croatian war veterans with chronic hepatitis C, especially those suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: We collected medical records of 170 adult men diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C who started treatment with a combination of pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin between January 2003 and June 2009 at the Croatian Reference Centre for Viral Hepatitis.

Results: Participants' mean age was 43 ± 9 years.

Virological and immunological characteristics of fatal Epstein-Barr virus mononucleosis in a 17-year-old Caucasian male presenting with meningoencephalitis and hemophagocytic syndrome.

In this report, the authors present a detailed immunological and virological assessment of an immunocompetent 17-year-old Caucasian male with a fatal Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infectious mononucleosis presenting with meningoencephalitis and hemophagocytic syndrome. The patient with serologically confirmed EBV infectious mononucleosis was admitted to the hospital because of 3 weeks' fever. Fine-needle aspiration of lymph nodes showed reactive hyperplasia with prominent hemophagocytosis.

Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in Croatia--a 10 year retrospective study of four geographic regions.

The aim of this 10-year retrospective study was to investigate the distribution of HCV genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis C monitored in the largest center for molecular diagnostics of HCV infection in Croatia. The study enrolled 1163 anti-HCV positive adults with detectable HCV RNA in the plasma. The patients were classified in four regions: Zagreb and surrounding continental area, Split, Slavonija and Rijeka.

[Acute hepatitis C--an unresolved issue].

Introduction: The problem encountered on collecting a large number of cases of acute hepatitis C (AH-C) cases are the reduction in the incidence of new infections, clinically mild or completely asymptomatic disease, and absence of specific diagnostic tests to identify acute HCV infection and to distinguish it from acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis C (CH-C).

Aim, Patients And Methods: The aim of this paper is to give an overview of 108 patients with AH-C hospitalized at Viral Hepatitis Unit, University Hospital of Infectious Diseases, during a 13-years period. Anti-HCV testing was started in 1990 and detection of HCV-RNA by PCR method in 1995.

[Hepatitis E in tourists to India].

Hepatitis E (HE) is a serious problem in developing countries worldwide, affecting in epidemics or as sporadic cases millions of people. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the main cause of enterically transmitted acute viral hepatitis, especially in tropic and subtropic areas. We presented two patients, our citizens who traveled to India, and contracted HE.