Reporting rates for VAERS death reports following COVID-19 vaccination, December 14, 2020-November 17, 2021.

Purpose: Despite widely available safety information for the COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge. In some cases, vaccine hesitancy may be related to concerns about the number of reports of death to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). We aimed to provide information and context about reports of death to VAERS following COVID-19 vaccination.

Thrombocytopenia after Ad.26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine: Reports to the vaccine adverse event reporting system.

Background: On February 27, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Ad.26.COV2.

Association of Receipt of the Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 Vaccine With Presumptive Guillain-Barré Syndrome, February-July 2021.

Importance: As part of postauthorization safety surveillance, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified a potential safety concern for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following receipt of the Ad26.COV2.S (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine.

Age- and risk factor-based serologic screening for Hepatitis C virus among an Urban, high-risk population.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening among individuals born between 1945 and 1965 (ie birth cohort) may augment risk factor-based screening. We assessed HCV seropositivity among injection drug users (IDUs) and birth cohort members from New York City. We assessed HCV risk factors and seropositivity in 7722 participants from community health, HIV prevention, syringe exchange and drug treatment programmes.

Fibrosis Progression in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Background: Fibrosis progression varies markedly in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals. We investigated factors that influence fibrosis progression in chronic HCV infection.

Methods: HCV-infected patients who underwent at least 2 liver biopsies were included in this study.

Inappropriate statistical method in a parallel-group randomized controlled trial results in unsubstantiated conclusions.

The conclusions of Cassani et al. in the January 2015 issue of Nutrition Journal (doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-14-5 ) cannot be substantiated by the analysis reported nor by the data themselves.

Improvements in HCV-related Knowledge Among Substance Users on Opioid Agonist Therapy After an Educational Intervention.

Objectives: Lack of knowledge about hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a principal barrier to substance users' engagement into care for the infection. As a step toward their increased engagement into HCV care, the objective of this study was to deliver an HCV-related educational intervention to substance users on opioid agonist therapy and to assess the change in HCV-related knowledge after the intervention.

Methods: We designed a comprehensive and interactive hepatitis C-related educational intervention, composed of two 30 to 60-minute sessions conducted during 2 consecutive weeks.

Intrahepatic and Peripheral CXCL10 Expression in Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients Treated With Telaprevir, Pegylated Interferon, and Ribavirin.

Unlabelled: We assessed peripheral and liver CXCL10 levels in 15 patients treated with telaprevir/pegylated interferon/ribavirin. Induction of peripheral CXCL10 messenger RNA (mRNA) peaked (mean fold-induction [±SD], 3.1 ± 1.

FibroSURE as a noninvasive marker of liver fibrosis and inflammation in chronic hepatitis B.

Background: Noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis have not been extensively studied in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Our aim was to evaluate the capacity of FibroSURE, one of the two noninvasive fibrosis indices commercially available in the United States, to identify HBV infected patients with moderate to severe fibrosis.

Methods: Forty-five patients who underwent liver biopsy at a single tertiary care center were prospectively enrolled and had FibroSURE performed within an average interval of 11 days of the biopsy.

Hepatitis C virus-related knowledge and willingness to receive treatment among patients on methadone maintenance.

Objectives: Although persons who inject drugs have high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, few receive treatment mostly because of lack of knowledge about the infection and its treatment. We assessed the level of HCV-related knowledge and willingness to participate in HCV treatment among methadone-maintained patients.

Methods: A 30-item survey covering HCV-related knowledge and willingness to engage in HCV-related education and treatment was developed and completed by 320 methadone-maintained patients.

Telaprevir-based treatment effects on hepatitis C virus in liver and blood.

Unlabelled: Understanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication has been limited by access to serial samples of liver, the primary site of viral replication. Our understanding of how HCV replicates and develops drug-resistant variants in the liver is limited. We studied 15 patients chronically infected with genotype 1 HCV treated with telaprevir (TVR)/pegylated-interferon alpha/ribavirin.

IL28B polymorphism, pretreatment CXCL10, and HCV RNA levels predict treatment response in racially diverse HIV/HCV coinfected and HCV monoinfected patients.

Objective: We sought to develop a score to predict sustained virological response (SVR) in racially diverse HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected and HCV-monoinfected pegylated interferon/ribavirin-treated patients.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 374 patients (259 monoinfected and 115 coinfected) treated at a single tertiary care center. The IL28B rs12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping was performed in 335 patients, and plasma CXCL10 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 171 patients.

Determinants of hepatitis C virus treatment completion and efficacy in drug users assessed by meta-analysis.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected drug users (DUs) have largely been excluded from HCV care. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on treatment completion and sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in DUs. We assessed the effects of different treatment approaches and services to promote HCV care among DUs as well as demographic and viral characteristics.

Assessment of methadone clinic staff attitudes toward hepatitis C evaluation and treatment.

We used a 25-item, self-administered questionnaire to assess staff's perceived barriers and willingness to engage in onsite treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) at the Beth Israel Medical Center methadone maintenance treatment program (MMTP) at its Harlem sites. Of 80 participants, 50% were counselors and 24% were directly involved in referral or HCV testing. Although 92% of the MMTP staff indicated that they discuss HCV evaluation and treatment with patients at least annually, 70% believed that less than 25% of patients accept referral for HCV treatment and attend their initial appointment.