HCV RNA levels in a multiethnic cohort of injection drug users: Human genetic, viral and demographic associations

Lorenzo Uccellini, Fan‐Chen Tseng, Alessandro Monaco, Fatma M. Shebl, Ruth Pfeiffer, Myhanh Dotrang, Dianna Buckett, Michael P. Busch, Ena Wang, Brian R. Edlin, Francesco M. Marincola, Thomas R. O'Brien – 13 February 2012 – In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level is an important predictor of treatment response. To explore the relationship of HCV RNA with viral and demographic factors, as well as IL28B genotype, we examined viral levels in an ethnically diverse group of injection drug users (IDUs).

Laser captured hepatocytes show association of butyrylcholinesterase gene loss and fibrosis progression in hepatitis C‐infected drug users

Supriya Munshaw, Hyon S. Hwang, Michael Torbenson, Jeffrey Quinn, Kasper D. Hansen, Jacquie Astemborski, Shruti H. Mehta, Stuart C. Ray, David L. Thomas, Ashwin Balagopal – 13 February 2012 – Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is complicated by hepatic fibrosis. Hypothesizing that early fibrogenic signals may originate in cells susceptible to HCV infection, hepatocyte gene expression was analyzed from persons with chronic HCV at different stages of liver fibrosis.

Pegylated interferon‐associated retinopathy is frequent in hepatitis C virus patients with hypertension and justifies ophthalmologic screening

Stela Vujosevic, Diego Tempesta, Franco Noventa, Edoardo Midena, Giada Sebastiani – 13 February 2012 – Treatment with pegylated interferon alpha (PegIFNα) and ribavirin is still regarded as the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Retinopathy has been occasionally described but prospective, longitudinal data are lacking. We investigated the frequency and clinical significance of retinopathy during therapy with PegIFNα and ribavirin in 97 consecutive HCV patients. In all, 54 (55.7%) and 43 (44.3%) patients were treated with PegIFNα 2a and PegIFNα 2b, respectively.

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