Direct hospital resource utilization and costs of treating patients with multiple myeloma in Southwest Sweden: a 5-year retrospective analysis.

Background: Approximately 570 patients are diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) in Sweden each year. Few studies have estimated the cost of treatment for these patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the direct hospital resource utilization and costs associated with the treatment of patients with MM in southwest Sweden.

Predictive factors and virological response to interferon treatment in children with chronic hepatitis B.

Further knowledge about factors predicting response to interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis B in children is required, in particular as the benefits of therapy are uncertain. In the present study, baseline characteristics were related to virological and histological responses in 27 children given interferon-alpha for 24 weeks after steroid priming. HBe seroconversion was seen in 8 of 27 HBeAg positive patients and was accompanied by a sustained virological response (SR), with a median 4.

Histologic activity of childhood chronic hepatitis B related to viremia levels, genotypes, mutations, and epidemiologic factors.

Background: Despite high viral load, children with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may lack significant biochemical signs of liver dysfunction. Failure to develop abnormal liver chemistriesis is probably due to immunologic hyporeactivity. Despite the absence of biochemical abnormalities in these patients, there is still a risk for long-term complications.