Clinical Characterization of the Three Waves of COVID-19 Occurring in Southern Italy: Results of a Multicenter Cohort Study.

Aims: To characterize patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the three waves in Southern Italy.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter observational cohort study involving seventeen COVID-19 Units in Campania, southern Italy: All adult (≥18 years) patients, hospitalized with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection from 28 February 2020 to 31 May 2021, were enrolled.

Results: Two thousand and fifteen COVID-19 hospitalized patients were enrolled; 392 (19%) in the first wave, 917 (45%) in the second and 706 (35%) in the third wave.

Pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CDK) was not associated with a severe clinical outcome of hospitalized COVID-19: results of a case-control study in Southern Italy.

The presence of co-morbidities is associated with a poor outcome in patients with COVID-19. The aim of the present study was to investigate the outcomes of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in order to assess its impact on mortality and severity of disease. We performed a multicenter, observational, 1:2 matched case-control study involving seventeen COVID-19 Units in southern Italy.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy thought package-refill among HIV+ persons at "D. Cotugno" hospital, Naples, Italy.

Background: A gold-standard for the measurement of adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is lacking. Aim of this study is to verify the feasibility of a package-refill-based measurement of ART at "D. Cotugno" hospital, Naples, Italy, and the factors associated to adherence.

Evolving epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Campania region, 2011-2018: Is HIV/AIDS population in Campania different?

Objectives: Data on HIV/AIDS cases in Italy are collected using a standardised form. Regional epidemiology may vary. We described the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of newly diagnosed persons with HIV in the 'Cotugno' hospital in Naples during 2011-2018 and compared them with national data to identify similarities and differences.

Genetic Variability in Patients with HCV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: The present paper evaluates the genetic variability of HCV in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Amino acid substitutions (aas) in NS3, NS5A and core regions were analyzed in 17 patients with HCC (Cases) and 13 without HCC (Controls), all naïve to DAAs. For the Cases, a sample of neoplastic liver tissue, non-neoplastic liver tissue and a serum sample were collected; for the Controls, a sample of liver tissue was collected.

Use of lung ultrasound in COVID-19: comparison with ultra-high-resolution computed tomography among 29 patients at "D. Cotugno" hospital, Naples, Italy.

Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography (U-HR-CT) is the reference imaging technique for pneumonia in the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Pulmonary Ultrasound (LUS) could be a valid diagnostic alternative for the imaging of COVID-19. Our study aimed to investigate the clinical performance of LUS in the initial evaluation of pneumonia in COVID-19 patients, compared to standard U-HR-CT.

Differences among confirmed and not-confirmed COVID-19 patients at "D.Cotugno" hospital, Naples (Italy): what we learned from first suspected cases?

Clinical presentation of COVID-19 is common to other respiratory infections. We compared the characteristics at hospital admission of confirmed and not-confirmed COVID-19 patients, in the early phase of the epidemic. Thirty-seven suspected patients were enrolled, and COVID-19 was confirmed in 17.

Association between Work Related Stress and Health Related Quality of Life: The Impact of Socio-Demographic Variables. A Cross Sectional Study in a Region of Central Italy.

The aim of this work is investigate relationship between health-related quality of life and work-related stress and the impact of gender, education level, and age on this relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted among workers of various setting in Rome and Frosinone. Work-related stress was measured with a demand-control questionnaire and health-related functioning by SF (short form)-12 health survey.

Lowered expression of microRNA-125a-5p in human hepatocellular carcinoma and up-regulation of its oncogenic targets sirtuin-7, matrix metalloproteinase-11, and c-Raf.

Human microRNA-125a-5p (miR-125a) is expressed in most tissues where it downregulates the expression of membrane receptors or intracellular transductors of mitogenic signals, thus limiting cell proliferation. Expression of this miRNA generally increases with cell differentiation whereas it is downregulated in several types of tumors, such as breast, lung, ovarian, gastric, colon, and cervical cancers, neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, glioblastoma, and retinoblastoma. In this study, we focused on hepatocellular carcinoma and used real-time quantitative PCR to measure miR-125a expression in 55 tumor biopsies and in matched adjacent non-tumor liver tissues.

Occult HBV infection in HCC and cirrhotic tissue of HBsAg-negative patients: a virological and clinical study.

Aim: To evaluate the virological and clinical characteristics of occult HBV infection (OBI) in 68 consecutive HBsAg-negative patients with biopsy-proven cirrhosis and HCC.

Methods: HBV DNA was sought and sequenced in plasma, HCC tissue and non-HCC liver tissue by PCRs using primers for HBV core, surface and x regions. OBI was identified by the presence of HBV DNA in at least two different PCRs.

Sorafenib after RFA in HCC patients: a pilot study.

Background/aims: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of sorafenib after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methodology: 44 intermediate or advanced HCC patients received sorafenib treatment after debulking with RFA therapy. Time to progression (TTP), response rate (RR), duration of sorafenib treatment and adverse effects were evaluated.

Reactivation of overt and occult hepatitis B infection in various immunosuppressive settings.

The aim of the study was to evaluate clinical and virological differences in HBV reactivation between patients with overt and occult HBV infection. Twenty-three consecutive patients with symptomatic HBV reactivation occurring during or after immunosuppressive therapy were enrolled in a retrospective study: 10 with reactivation of overt HBV infection (overt group) and 13 of occult HBV infection (occult group). Twenty-one patients were treated with nucleot(s)ide analogues after HBV reactivation.

Increased hepatitis C viral load and reactivation of liver disease in HCV RNA-positive patients with onco-haematological disease undergoing chemotherapy.

Aims: To evaluate changes in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) RNA both in plasma and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) in onco-haematological patients.

Patients And Methods: 8 consecutive anti-HCV/HCV RNA-positive patients with onco-haematological diseases (5 with B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and 3 with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia) were observed during chemotherapy and after its discontinuation. All were naïve to chemotherapy.

[Icteric hepatitis in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated by rituximab-based chemotherapy].

We report the case of a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who, during chemotherapy according to the r-CHOP schedule (rituximab-cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine and prednisone), showed a hepatic flare with jaundice. Given the patient's state of asymptomatic carrier of HBsAg, we began a treatment of telbivudine (600 mg/die), resulting in a regression of hepatitis flare and negativization of HBV viraemia.

[Spontaneous and treatment-induced virological dynamic in the plasma, PBMC and liver tissue in a patient with chronic HBV and HCV coinfection].

Here it is reported the virological dynamic of HBV and HCV, identified in the plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tissue liver, in a patient with chronic HBV-HCV coinfection. A treatment with pegylated Interferon plus Ribavirin determined a sustained virological response for HCV in all the three studied compartments, but a reactivation of chronic HBV infection was observed. In fact, while at the first observation HBV-DNA was detectable only in the liver tissue, after antiviral therapy it was detectable in all the three compartments; moreover this HBV reactivation was associated with a hepatic flare.