Minerva medica
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Despite the availability of effective treatments, hepatitis C virus (HCV) still remains a threat to public health. HCV is capable to trigger, behind liver damage, extrahepatic manifestations, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A close association has been reported between HCV infection and cardiovascular disease due to imbalances in metabolic pathways and chronic inflammation. ⋯ T2DM increases the risk of compensated and decompensate cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma as well as increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower limb amputation and end stage renal disease. Current evidence suggests that HCV eradication reduces the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease and T2DM, further underling the importance of public health strategies for eradication the infection. The aim of this review was to update evidence and management of interaction between HCV, cardiovascular disease, and T2DM in the era of DAA treatment.
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Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a well-known worldwide infection, responsible for hepatic and extrahepatic complications. Among extrahepatic manifestation, the rheumatologic are the most common ones. With the arrival of Direct Antiviral Agents (DAA), the treatment and the clinical perspective have rapidly changed, permitting to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR) and preventing complications of chronic infection. ⋯ Chronic HCV infection is responsible for complex clinical condition, ranging from hepatic to extra-hepatic disorders. Cryoglobulins are the result of this prolonged immune system stimulation, caused by tropism of HCV for B-lymphocyte.
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Hepatitis C virus represents an important global health issue with 71 million of infected people in the word. Direct-acting antivirals are quite new molecules that hit specific Hepatitis C virus proteins useful for viral replication and assembly. Notably, Direct-acting antivirals bring to high sustained virological response rates showing also a great safety profile. ⋯ In the present review the main clinical challenges in every-day management of Hepatitis C virus patients treated with Direct-acting antivirals and the debated effects of viral clearance (metabolic, cardiovascular, immunologic and neoplastic) are discussed. The detection of barriers that can preclude the delivery of Hepatitis C virus care, is the most complex challenge for the scientific community. To obtain the Hepatitis C virus global eradication by 2030, as the World Health Organization has set, will be complex and laborious and will need a further multilevel effort.
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Helicobacter pylori infection still represents a major health issue, especially in developing countries, with an estimate of 4 billion of infected subjects in 2015. The increase of antibiotic resistance has undermined the efficacy of standard triple therapy leading to more complex regimens. This review summarizes recommendations of international guidelines and reports the most recent evidence from meta-analyses and clinical trials on the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. ⋯ Second-line treatments include levofloxacin-containing triple therapy and bismuth quadruple therapy. Probiotic supplementation should be used with the aim to reduce antibiotic-related adverse events. Recent evidence would support current guideline recommendations for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection.
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Cryoglobulinemia is defined by the presence of immunoglobulins having the following characteristics: forming a gel when temperature is <37 °C, precipitate in a reversible manner in the serum, and redissolve after rewarming. The presence of both polyclonal IgG and monoclonal IgM (type II), or of polyclonal IgG and polyclonal IgM (type III) identifies the mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). ⋯ The kidney represents the most common organ presentation, and the presence of glomerulonephritis is a key element when considering prognosis. We discuss the clinical presentation and histological features, diagnostic pitfalls, and controversies in the management of patients with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis, with a special focus on reporting our experience in treating patients with B cell depletion therapy.