Listeria monocytogenes peritonitis: presentation, clinical features, treatment, and outcome.

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a serious complication in cirrhotic patients. Gram (-) (E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae), and Gram (+) (Streptococci, Staphylococci) bacteria are most frequently cultured from patients'ascites.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation as the laboratory hallmark of acute Q fever.

A 37-y-old white male presented with high fever, constitutional symptoms, mild meningeal and pulmonary involvement. Laboratory investigation revealed thrombocytopenia and excessive prolongation of coagulation times (International normalized ratio-INR- up to 6) requiring transfusion with 14 units of fresh frozen plasma. Serology established acute Coxiella burnetti infection.

Possible green tea-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Purpose: A case of a patient who developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) after consuming a weight-loss product containing green tea is reported.

Summary: A 38-year-old, 68-kg Caucasian woman arrived at the emergency department with a one-week history of malaise, fatigue, and petechiae of the skin. She had no symptoms of infection and denied illegal drug use.

Chromogranin a levels in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of 42 patients with non-functioning pancreatic endocrine tumours.

Background/aims: Non-functioning pancreatic endocrine tumours (NFPET) constitute the largest component (35-50%) of pancreatic endocrine tumours. They are characterized by the absence of symptoms of hormone hypersecretion and frequently have clinical manifestations similar to the more common exocrine pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The present studyaims toevaluate the clinical features, diagnostic approach and, in particular, the significance of serum chromogranin A levels (CgA) in the management and outcome of 42 patients with NFPET (from a series of 121 patients with pancreatic endocrine tumours).

Atypical autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 3 overlapped by chronic HCV infection resulting in carcinogenesis and fatal infection.

The case of a woman with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroiditis, atrophic gastritis, pernicious anemia, and immunologic thrombocytopenic purpura consisting of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 3 associated with a history of gonadal failure is reported. Hepatitis C viral infection added xerophthalmia, lymphocytic sialadenitis, and exacerbation of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. This unique disease constellation was complicated with splenic marginal zone lymphoma and gastric carcinoids.

Patient's age modifies the impact of the proposed predictors of sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with PEG-interferon plus ribavirin.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of patient's age on the impact of typically proposed predictors of sustained virological response (SVR) in treatment-naïve, high-pretreatment viral load (>700.000 IU/ml), chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated under real-life conditions in Greece.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 185 CHC patients (14.

Impact of shorter duration of treatment on virological response rate in genotype 2 or 3 chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of shortened duration of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RIB) treatment on sustained virological response (SVR) rates in treatment-naomicronve patients with chronic hepatitis due to genotype 2 or 3 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and high pre-treatment viral load (>800,000 IU/mL).

Methods: Records of 142 patients with chronic hepatitis C (22 with cirrhosis) who had been treated with PEG-IFN and RIB for 24 weeks (Group A, n=88), both drugs for 12-16 weeks (Group B, n=39), or with PEG-IFN for 12-16 weeks and RIB for 24 weeks (Group C, n=15), were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: Overall, 81.

Case report: mixed cholestatic/hepatocellular liver injury induced by the herbicide quizalofop-p-ethyl.

Context: Quizalofop-p-ethyl is an often applied, slightly toxic herbicide for which no severe toxicity has been reported in humans.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a farmer exposed to quizalofop-p-ethyl who presented with obstructive cholestasis. A complete workup disclosed no other cause of liver pathology, but liver biopsy established drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

Unusual onset of varicella zoster reactivation with meningoencephalitis, followed by rhabdomyolysis and renal failure in a young, immunocompetent patient.

We present an unusual onset of meningoencephalitis due to VZV reactivation, with increased intrathecal production of IgG VZV antibodies and negative PCR, in a young, immunocompetent adult. Herpes zoster erupted 5 d later. Rare complication of VZV-related rhabdomyolysis occurred, with subsequent ARF, in combination with acyclovir and ceftriaxone.

Immunogenicity of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced chronic hepatitis C patients: the effect of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin treatment.

Aim: To retrospectively evaluate the vaccination-induced anti-HBs seroconversion rates in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Also to prospectively evaluate the seroconversion rates in CHC patients during pegylated interferon (PEG) plus ribavirin (RIB) treatment.

Methods: Seventy treatment-naive CHC patients (group A), 22 sustained virological responders-SVR following interferon (IFN) plus RIB treatment CHC patients (group B) and 121 healthy subjects (group C) had been participated in the same HBV vaccination schedule (20 microg, 0-1-6 mo).

Prophylactic and therapeutic use of recombinant activated factor VII in patients with cirrhosis and coagulation impairment.

Patients with cirrhosis and impaired coagulation often pose major therapeutic problems during bleeding episodes or invasive procedures. Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa), which has been licensed for the treatment of haemophilia patients with factor VIII or IX inhibitors, has been occasionally used in cirrhotic patients. We present five patients with cirrhosis and coagulopathy who received 1-4 recombinant activated factor VII infusions either prophylactically in order to safely undergo an invasive procedure or therapeutically in order to control a severe bleeding episode which did not respond to standard supportive care.

Late onset autoimmune thrombocytopenia associated with pegylated interferon-alpha-2b plus ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

Interferon-induced, immune-mediated, thrombocytopenia is a rare event. In this report the case is described of development of severe, reversible, autoimmune thrombocytopenia in a patient with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, 6 months after the discontinuation of pegylated interferon-alpha-2b plus ribavirin treatment. Physicians must be aware that autoimmune thrombocytopenia can occur even after the end of treatment, as a late onset complication, especially when using the pegylated forms of interferons, which have longer half-lives and prolonged activity.

Clinical significance of serum procalcitonin levels in patients with acute or chronic liver disease.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum procalcitonin levels in patients with acute or chronic liver disease, with or without bacterial infections and to correlate the results with the clinical outcome and the laboratory findings for these patients.

Methods: One hundred and six consecutive hospitalized patients with liver disease were evaluated for procalcitonin levels on admission. Fifteen of them (14.

A viral kinetic study using pegylated interferon alfa-2b and/or lamivudine in patients with chronic hepatitis B/HBeAg negative.

We studied viral dynamic parameters in 44 chronic hepatitis B/hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)(-) patients treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2b (PEG-IFN) 100 or 200 microg weekly or lamivudine 100 mg daily or the combination of PEG-IFN 100 or 200 microg with lamivudine. Patients receiving PEG-IFN monotherapy exhibited viral load oscillations between weekly injections, which were resolved by the addition of lamivudine. The median pharmacological delay was estimated at 4.

Autoimmune pancreatitis.

Autoimmune pancreatitis is a type of idiopathic pancreatitis. It is also referred to as sclerosing pancreatitis, lymphoplasmatocytic sclerosing pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis with irregular stenosis of the main pancreatic duct and as sclerosing pancreatocholangitis. Clinical characteristics of autoimmune pancreatitis are jaundice, abdominal pain, weight loss and diabetes mellitus.

Relationship between serum b2-microglobulin levels and virological breakthrough in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients, under long-term treatment schedules including lamivudine.

Aim: Predictive value of serum b2-microglobulin (b2m) levels for virological breakthrough (VB) in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients under long-term treatment schedules including lamivudine (LAM).

Methods: Serum b2m levels were calculated during treatment in 25 CHB patients under long-term LAM monotherapy (group A) and 12 patients under initial interferon plus LAM treatment followed by LAM monotherapy (group B), using the MEIA technology. We used Cox proportional hazard models in order to investigate the association between serum b2m levels and VB.

Extensive psoriasis induced by pegylated interferon alpha-2b treatment for chronic hepatitis B.

A 32-year-old man with chronic hepatitis B who was treated with pegylated interferon alpha-2b once a week, developed widespread psoriasis 4 weeks after the beginning of the treatment. There was no history of psoriasis. The treatment was stopped and gradually the eruption vanished.

Tamoxifen induced hepatotoxicity in breast cancer patients with pre-existing liver steatosis: the role of glucose intolerance.

Objective: Tamoxifen induced hepatotoxicity has not been investigated in breast cancer patients with pre-existing liver steatosis. The aim of our study was to investigate the most common predisposing factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in breast cancer patients with liver steatosis, treated with adjuvant tamoxifen therapy, in order to evaluate their role in the appearance of tamoxifen induced hepatotoxicity.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory evaluation, including an oral glucose tolerance test, was done in 60 women with breast cancer and liver steatosis before the beginning of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment and every 6 months during treatment.