High histoplasmosis incidence in kidney transplant recipients in Santa Fe city, Argentina.

Histoplasmosis is endemic in the central/northeast region of Argentina. It is estimated that the incidence of this mycosis is low in solid organ transplant recipients. This work aims to describe the epidemiology, clinical forms, and evolution of kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with histoplasmosis in Santa Fe city, Argentina.

Treatment of De Novo Renal Transplant Recipients With Calcineurin Inhibitor-free, Belatacept Plus Everolimus-based Immunosuppression.

Unlabelled: Compared with calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppression, belatacept (BELA)-based treatment has been associated with better renal function but higher acute rejection rates. This phase 2 study (NCT02137239) compared the antirejection efficacy of BELA plus everolimus (EVL) with tacrolimus (TAC) plus mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), each following lymphocyte-depleting induction and rapid corticosteroid withdrawal.

Methods: Patients who were de novo renal transplant recipients seropositive for Epstein-Barr virus were randomized to receive BELA+EVL or TAC+MMF maintenance therapy after rabbit antithymocyte globulin induction and up to 7 d of corticosteroids.

Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on liver transplant recipients. A single center observational study.

Background: the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown on liver transplant (LT) patients remains unknown. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental health of LT patients during the lockdown period.

Methods: a web-based questionnaire was emailed to 238 LT patients undergoing regular follow-up at our unit between August and October 2020.

Failure in all steps of hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance process is frequent in daily practice.

Introduction And Objectives: Failures at any step in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance process can result in HCC diagnostic delays and associated worse prognosis. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of surveillance failure and its associated risk factors in patients with HCC in Argentina, considering three steps: 1) recognition of at-risk patients, 2) implementation of HCC surveillance, 3) success of HCC surveillance.

Methods: We performed a multi-center cross-sectional study of patients at-risk for HCC in Argentina seen between10.

Outbreak of hepatitis A in a post-vaccination era: High rate of co-infection with sexually transmitted diseases.

Introduction And Objectives: After hepatitis A (HAV) mandatory immunization in 2005 in Argentina, the incidence of HAV declined drastically. However, several new autochthonous cases of HAV have been reported since 2017. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and possible transmission routes of affected patients.

A Latin American survey on demographic aspects of hospitalized, decompensated cirrhotic patients and the resources for their management.

Introduction & Objectives: Liver cirrhosis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of decompensating events requires of both medical skills and updated technical resources. The objectives of this study were to search the demographic profile of hospitalized cirrhotic patients in a group of Latin American hospitals and the availability of expertise/facilities for the diagnosis and therapy of decompensation episodes.

Intermediate-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in Argentina: Treatment and survival analysis.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the sixteenth most frequent cancer in Argentina. The rise of new therapeutic modalities in intermediate-advanced HCC opens up a new paradigm for the treatment of HCC.

Aim: To describe real-life treatments performed in patients with intermediate-advanced HCC before the approval of new systemic options.

Liver transplantation in adults with acute liver failure: Outcomes from the Argentinean Transplant Registry.

Introduction And Aim: Liver transplantation (LT) for acute liver failure (ALF) still has a high early mortality. We aimed to evaluate changes occurring in recent years and identify risk factors for poor outcomes.

Material And Methods: Data were retrospectively obtained from the Argentinean Transplant Registry from two time periods (1998-2005 and 2006-2016).

Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Does the Place Where Ultrasound Is Performed Impact Its Effectiveness?

Background: Biannual ultrasound (US) is recommended as the clinical screening tool for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The effectiveness of surveillance according to the place where US is performed has not been previously reported.

Aims: To compare the effectiveness of US performed in the center responsible for follow-up as opposed to US proceeding from centers other than that of follow-up.

Adherence to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer therapeutic algorithm for hepatocellular carcinoma in the daily practice: a multicenter cohort study from Argentina.

Background And Aim: Adherence to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging algorithm for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma is challenging in the daily practice. We aimed to analyze adherence to BCLC along with its effect on patient survival.

Patients And Methods: A cohort study was conducted in 14 hospitals from Argentina including patients with newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma (2009-2016).

Fatty liver disease, an emerging etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in Argentina.

Aim: To investigate any changing trends in the etiologies of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Argentina during the last years.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted by 14 regional hospitals starting in 2009 through 2016. All adult patients with newly diagnosed HCC either with pathology or imaging criteria were included.

Effectiveness and safety of original and generic sofosbuvir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C: A real world study.

We report the first real-world prospective multicenter cohort study that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of original or generic sofosbuvir-based regimens in patients with chronic hepatitis C in Latin America. The main endpoints were assessment of sustained virological response and serious adverse events rates. A total of 321 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with the following regimens were included: sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir for 12 (n = 34) or 24 (n = 135) weeks, sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir plus ribavirin for 12 (n = 84) or 24 (n = 56) weeks, or sofosbuvir plus ribavirin for 12 (n = 8) or 24 (n = 2) weeks.

Belatacept and Long-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplantation.

Background: In previous analyses of BENEFIT, a phase 3 study, belatacept-based immunosuppression, as compared with cyclosporine-based immunosuppression, was associated with similar patient and graft survival and significantly improved renal function in kidney-transplant recipients. Here we present the final results from this study.

Methods: We randomly assigned kidney-transplant recipients to a more-intensive belatacept regimen, a less-intensive belatacept regimen, or a cyclosporine regimen.

Hepatitis C in Argentina: epidemiology and treatment.

Hepatitis C is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer in Argentina, where from 1.5% to 2.5% of adults are infected.

Expression of HLA-G and MICA mRNA in renal allograft.

HLA-G is a nonclassical MHC class I antigen that displays tolerogenic functions; MICA is a stress-regulated molecule recognized by NKG2D cytotoxicity-activating receptor expressed by NK and T cells subsets. We evaluated HLA-G isoforms and MICA mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in biopsies from kidney allograft recipients with acute rejection (AR), chronic rejection (CR), and stable graft evolution (SE). HLA-G1 was the only transcript resulted from amplification, both in PBMCs as in biopsy samples.

Gastrointestinal (GI)-Specific patient reported outcomes instruments differentiate between renal transplant patients with or without GI symptoms: results from a South American cohort.

Background: Immunosuppressive therapies have burdensome side effects which may lead to sub-therapeutic dosing and non-compliance. Patients on different immunosuppressant regimens may feel less bothered by Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects or report better health-related quality of life (HRQL). We evaluated the reliability and validity of two GI-specific outcome instruments (Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS; higher scores = increased severity) and Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI; higher scores = better GI-specific HRQL)) in renal transplant patients in South America.

Main determinants of Global Assessment of Functioning score in schizophrenia: a European multicenter study.

Background: The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale is a measure widely used to assess the outcome of patients with schizophrenia. However, little is known about the importance of clinical and psychosocial variables in determining its final score. The aim of this paper is to identify which factors predict GAF scores of patients with schizophrenia and their variability in 5 different European settings.