Patient with hepatocellular carcinoma related to prior acute arsenic intoxication and occult HBV: epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic results after 14 years of follow-up

Little is known about the long-term survivors of acute arsenic intoxication. We present here a clinical case report of a man with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who developed hepatocellular carcinoma four years after acute arsenic poisoning. HBsAg was detected in serum in 1990 when he voluntarily donated blood. In 1991, the patient suffered from severe psychological depression that led him to attempt suicide by massive ingestion of an arsenic-containing rodenticide. He survived with polyneuropathy and paralysis of the lower limbs, and has been wheelchair-bound since then. During participation in a follow-up study conducted among HBV carriers, abdominal ultrasound detected a two-centimeter liver mass consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma. The tumor was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI). Because of his significant comorbidity, the patient received palliative treatment with transarterial lipiodol chemoembolization (TACE) on three occasions (1996, 1997 and 1999). At his most recent visit in May 2005, the patient was asymptomatic, liver enzymes were normal and the tumor was in remission on ultrasound

Efficacy and safety of Pegylated Interferon-α2b Plus Ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients

Low response rates and concerns about safety have limited the implementation of treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in patients with HIV infection. The efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin in HIV-infected patients with CHC were evaluated in a prospective, open-label, multicenter study. Sixty patients with persistently high transaminases, positive HCV-RNA, CD4 count ≥300 cells/µl, and HIVRNA <10,000 copies/ml were included. Patients were given peg-IFN 80-150 µg/week plus ribavirin 800-1200 mg/day. Treatment was scheduled for 24 weeks for genotypes 2/3 and 48 weeks for genotypes 1/4. In an intent- to-treat analysis, 16 (26.7%) patients achieved a sustained virological response (SVR). Twenty patients (33.3%) discontinued treatment prematurely, but only in 10 (16.6%) was discontinuation due to adverse events. Negative predictive values for SVR on the basis of HCV-RNA decline between baseline and week 4 were 100% for 1- and 2-log10 fall, and positive predictive values were 40% and 58.3% for 1- and 2-log10 fall, respectively. CD4 fell by a median of 216 cells during treatment, but no HIV-associated complications occurred. In conclusion, treatment with peg-IFN alfa-2b plus ribavirin is safe and clears RNA-HCV in about one-quarter of HIV-infected patients with CHC. Efforts should be focused on optimizing management of side effects and counseling to improve adherence and to keep patients on treatment. Assessment of HCV-RNA at week 4 may help guide early therapeutic decision making

The Rose Bengal test in human brucellosis: a neglected test for the diagnosis of a neglected disease

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis affecting livestock and human beings. The human disease lacks pathognomonic symptoms and laboratory tests are essential for its diagnosis. However, most tests are difficult to implement in the areas and countries were brucellosis is endemic. Here, we compared the simple and cheap Rose Bengal Test (RBT) with serum agglutination, Coombs, competitive ELISA, Brucellacapt, lateral flow immunochromatography for IgM and IgG detection and immunoprecipitation with Brucella proteins. We tested 208 sera from patients with brucellosis proved by bacteriological isolation, 20 contacts with no brucellosis, and 1559 sera of persons with no recent contact or brucellosis symptoms. RBT was highly sensitive in acute and long evolution brucellosis cases and this related to its ability to detect IgM, IgG and IgA, to the absence of prozones, and to the agglutinating activity of blocking IgA at the pH of the test. RBT was also highly specific in the sera of persons with no contact with Brucella. No test in this study outperformed RBT, and none was fully satisfactory in distinguishing contacts from infected patients. When modified to test serum dilutions, a diagnostic titer >4 in RBT resulted in 87.4% sensitivity (infected patients) and 100% specificity (contacts). We discuss the limitations of serological tests in the diagnosis of human brucellosis, particularly in the more chronic forms, and conclude that simplicity and affordability of RBT make it close to the ideal test for small and understaffed hospitals and laboratories

Patient with hepatocellular carcinoma related to prior acute arsenic intoxication and occult HBV: epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic results after 14 years of follow-up

Little is known about the long-term survivors of acute arsenic intoxication. We present here a clinical case report of a man with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who developed hepatocellular carcinoma four years after acute arsenic poisoning. HBsAg was detected in serum in 1990 when he voluntarily donated blood. In 1991, the patient suffered from severe psychological depression that led him to attempt suicide by massive ingestion of an arsenic-containing rodenticide. He survived with polyneuropathy and paralysis of the lower limbs, and has been wheelchair-bound since then. During participation in a follow-up study conducted among HBV carriers, abdominal ultrasound detected a two-centimeter liver mass consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma. The tumor was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance image (MRI). Because of his significant comorbidity, the patient received palliative treatment with transarterial lipiodol chemoembolization (TACE) on three occasions (1996, 1997 and 1999). At his most recent visit in May 2005, the patient was asymptomatic, liver enzymes were normal and the tumor was in remission on ultrasound

Efficacy and safety of Pegylated Interferon-α2b Plus Ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients

Low response rates and concerns about safety have limited the implementation of treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in patients with HIV infection. The efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin in HIV-infected patients with CHC were evaluated in a prospective, open-label, multicenter study. Sixty patients with persistently high transaminases, positive HCV-RNA, CD4 count ≥300 cells/µl, and HIVRNA <10,000 copies/ml were included. Patients were given peg-IFN 80-150 µg/week plus ribavirin 800-1200 mg/day. Treatment was scheduled for 24 weeks for genotypes 2/3 and 48 weeks for genotypes 1/4. In an intent- to-treat analysis, 16 (26.7%) patients achieved a sustained virological response (SVR). Twenty patients (33.3%) discontinued treatment prematurely, but only in 10 (16.6%) was discontinuation due to adverse events. Negative predictive values for SVR on the basis of HCV-RNA decline between baseline and week 4 were 100% for 1- and 2-log10 fall, and positive predictive values were 40% and 58.3% for 1- and 2-log10 fall, respectively. CD4 fell by a median of 216 cells during treatment, but no HIV-associated complications occurred. In conclusion, treatment with peg-IFN alfa-2b plus ribavirin is safe and clears RNA-HCV in about one-quarter of HIV-infected patients with CHC. Efforts should be focused on optimizing management of side effects and counseling to improve adherence and to keep patients on treatment. Assessment of HCV-RNA at week 4 may help guide early therapeutic decision making

Efficacy and safety of Pegylated Interferon-α2b Plus Ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients

Low response rates and concerns about safety have limited the implementation of treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in patients with HIV infection. The efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin in HIV-infected patients with CHC were evaluated in a prospective, open-label, multicenter study. Sixty patients with persistently high transaminases, positive HCV-RNA, CD4 count ≥300 cells/µl, and HIVRNA <10,000 copies/ml were included. Patients were given peg-IFN 80-150 µg/week plus ribavirin 800-1200 mg/day. Treatment was scheduled for 24 weeks for genotypes 2/3 and 48 weeks for genotypes 1/4. In an intent- to-treat analysis, 16 (26.7%) patients achieved a sustained virological response (SVR). Twenty patients (33.3%) discontinued treatment prematurely, but only in 10 (16.6%) was discontinuation due to adverse events. Negative predictive values for SVR on the basis of HCV-RNA decline between baseline and week 4 were 100% for 1- and 2-log10 fall, and positive predictive values were 40% and 58.3% for 1- and 2-log10 fall, respectively. CD4 fell by a median of 216 cells during treatment, but no HIV-associated complications occurred. In conclusion, treatment with peg-IFN alfa-2b plus ribavirin is safe and clears RNA-HCV in about one-quarter of HIV-infected patients with CHC. Efforts should be focused on optimizing management of side effects and counseling to improve adherence and to keep patients on treatment. Assessment of HCV-RNA at week 4 may help guide early therapeutic decision making