Clearing hepatitis C virus with direct antiviral agents reduces cardiovascular events in patients with prediabetes. Commentary to Sasso and colleagues

Liver health is a key determinant of cardiovascular risk (CVR). Hepatic fibrosis is the shared common result of chronic hepatitis, irrespective of aetiology. Fibrosis profoundly distorts liver tissue architecture and perturbs hepatic physiology, dictates the course of chronic liver disease and is increasingly recognized as a CVR factor. The relative weights of pre-diabetes and hepatic fibrosis as risk factors for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with HCV remain an open issue. Sasso and Colleagues answered this research question by treating approximately half of 770 HCV positive pre-diabetic patients with direct antiviral agents (DAAs), while the rest served as historical controls. Data have shown that achieving HCV clearance with DAAs was associated with a 60% reduced risk of MACE, thereby implying that this antiviral strategy is recommended in HCV positive pre-diabetic patients, regardless of the severity of liver disease and concurrent CVR factors. This study paves the way for additional studies addressing the molecular patho-mechanisms and changes in the clinical spectrum involved in cardio-metabolic protection following HCV eradication in patients with pre-diabetes.     

孕期抗病毒治疗结合标准阻断措施对乙型肝炎高病毒载量孕妇所生婴儿母婴传播阻断的影响

目的分析乙型肝炎(乙肝)病毒(Hepatitis B virus,HBV)高载量孕妇孕期HBV脱氧核糖核酸(HBV desoxyribonucleic acid,HBV-DNA)水平和HBVe抗原(HBV e antigen,HBeAg)阳性率以及孕期抗病毒治疗结合标准阻断措施对其所生婴儿母婴传播阻断失败率的影响。方法通过医院信息系统收集HBV-DNA高载量(≥2×10^6IU/mL)孕妇血清学检测结果、抗病毒药物使用等信息,描述HBV-DNA载量和HBeAg阳性率;对HBV-DNA高载量孕妇所生婴儿进行乙肝疫苗(Hepatitis B vaccine,HepB)和乙肝免疫球蛋白(Hepatitis B immunoglobulin,HBIG)联合免疫,在完成第3剂HepB后7月龄-2岁对乙肝表面抗原和HBV-DNA进行随访检测,分析母婴传播阻断失败率。结果共纳入1822名HBV-DNA高载量孕妇,接受、未接受抗病毒治疗分别占75.19%、24.81%。孕妇妊娠期、分娩前HBV-DNA≥1.0×10^8IU/mL比例分别为68.10%(933/1370)、0.15%(2/1370)(χ^2=2692.27,P<0.0001)。接受抗病毒治疗组妊娠期、分娩前HBeAg阳性率分别为96.53%(1001/1037)、96.16%(1251/1301)(χ^2=0.23,P=0.635),未接受抗病毒治疗组妊娠期、分娩前HBeAg阳性率分别为97.70%(298/305)、96.98%(417/430)(χ^2=0.36,P=0.550)。两组HepB和HBIG联合免疫后母婴传播阻断失败率分别为0.42%(3/714)、6.67%(14/210)(χ^2=31.69,P<0.0001)。结论孕妇HBV-DNA高载量以≥1.0×10^8IU/mL为主,孕期抗病毒治疗可显著降低孕妇HBV-DNA载量,结合HepB和HBIG联合免疫可显著降低其所生婴儿HBV母婴传播阻断失败率。     

Successful Treatment of Necrotizing Retinitis with Epstein–Barr Virus-Positive Ocular Fluid by Intravitreal Methotrexate Injection

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To present a case of necrotizing retinitis with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-positive ocular fluid in a patient with sudden unilateral vision loss, which was successfully treated with intravitreal methotrexate (MTX) injections.     

Post-viral atopic airway disease: pathogenesis and potential avenues for intervention

Introduction: In early childhood, wheezing due to lower respiratory tract illness is often associated with infection by commonly known respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human rhinovirus (RV). How respiratory viral infections lead to wheeze and/or asthma is an area of active research.

Areas covered: This review provides an updated summary of the published information on the development of post-viral induced atopy and asthma and the mechanisms involved. We focus on the contribution of animal models in identifying pathways that may contribute to atopy and asthma following respiratory virus infection, different polymorphisms that have been associated with asthma development, and current options for disease management and potential future interventions.

Expert commentary: Currently there are no prophylactic therapies that prevent infants infected with respiratory viruses from developing asthma or atopy. Neither are there curative therapies for patients with asthma. Therefore, a better understanding of genetic factors and other associated biomarkers in respiratory viral induced pathogenesis is important for developing effective personalized therapies.     

Adenosine-to-inosine editing of endogenous Z-form RNA by the deaminase ADAR1 prevents spontaneous MAVS-dependent type I interferon responses

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Severe Herpes Zoster Requiring Intravenous Antiviral Treatment in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients on Standard Acyclovir Prophylaxis

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients are at increased risk for varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation and associated complications. The incidence, timing, and risk factors for severe herpes zoster (HZ) are not well described in the era of acyclovir (ACV) prophylaxis. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients who underwent first allogeneic HCT between October 2006 and December 2015 at our institution. Patients were followed until December 2017 for the development of severe HZ, defined as necessitating administration of i.v. antiviral medication. Out of 2163 patients who underwent allogeneic HCT, 22 (1.0%) developed severe HZ at a rate of 1 per 228 person-years, including dermatomal/multidermatomal disease (n = 5), disseminated skin disease (n = 5), HZ ophthalmicus (n = 4), meningitis/encephalitis (n = 4), pneumonia (n = 2), viremia (n = 1), and erythema multiforme (n = 1). Severe HZ infection occurred in a bimodal distribution during the early peri-HCT period and at 12 to 24 months post-HCT (median, 12.7 months). Twelve patients (54.5%) were compliant with ACV prophylaxis at the time of HZ diagnosis. Eleven patients (50%) died during the study period, only 2 of whom (9.1%) with active VZV infection. Mortality was higher in patients on immunosuppressive therapy (62.5% versus 16.7%; P = .045) and with concurrent graft-versus-host disease (75.0% versus 35.7%; P= .044). These data suggest that severe HZ remains an important consideration despite ACV prophylaxis.