Serological and virological profile of patients with chronic hepatitis B infection in Eritrea

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is a major cause of liver associated morbidity and mortality with diverse spectrum of disease. It is estimated about 15% to 40% of patients with hepatitis B virus infection progress to chronic hepatitis and about 15% to 25% die from disease complications. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the serological and virological markers of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection to determine the natural history of chronic hepatitis B infection in the Eritrean setting. Methods: A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 305 patients with HBsAg positive who presented to Orotta National Referral Hospital, Halibet Hospital, Sembel Hospital and National Health Laboratory in Asmara, Eritrea from January 2017 to February 2019. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to detect hepatitis B serological markers (anti-HBc, HBsAg, anti-HBsAb, HBeAg and anti-HBeAg). Hepatitis B DNA viral loads and liver transaminase levels were determined. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25.0. Results: A total of 305 patients presented with HBsAg positive serology with a mean age of 41.3 (± 13.7) years ranging from 16 to 78 years. Males were 218 (71.5%) and females 87 (28. 5%).Anti-HBc was positive in 300 (98.4%), of which 293 (97.5%) were positive for HBsAg and 7 (2.3%) positive for anti-HBs. Among these 293 patients, 20 (6.8%) were HBeAg positive/anti-HBe positive, 242 (82.6%) HBeAg-negative/anti-HBe-positive and 31 (10.6%) were HBeAg negative/anti-HBe-positive. Detectable HBV DNA was found in 122(41.6%) of the 293 cases. Alanine transaminase was normal in 90% of HBeAg-positive and in 91.2% of HBeAg-negative patients. Hepatitis B DNA viral load was >2,000 IU/mL in 67 (22.86%) and >200,000 IU/mL level was more frequently detected in HBeAg positive (20.0%) compared to HBeAg negative (1.8%) subjects (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study shows predominance of HBeAg-negative and low replication phase of HBV infection among patients in Eritrea. It also documented that most patients had chronic infection with normal liver transaminase levels in the absence of biochemical signs of hepatitis. This study will provide a basis for therapeutic evaluation of patients and planning national treatment guidelines in the Eritrean setting

Attrition and associated factors among children living with HIV at a tertiary hospital in Eritrea: a retrospective cohort analysis

Background Reducing attrition in paediatric HIV-positive patients using combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) programmes in sub-Saharan Africa is a challenge. This study explored the rates and predictors of attrition in children started on cART in Asmara, Eritrea.Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using data from all paediatric patients on cART between 2005 and 2020, conducted at the Orotta National Referral and Teaching Hospital. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the likelihood of attrition and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the factors associated with attrition. All p values were two sided and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results The study enrolled 710 participants with 374 boys (52.7%) and 336 girls (47.3%). After 5364 person-years’ (PY) follow-up, attrition occurred in 172 (24.2%) patients: 65 (9.2%) died and 107 (15.1%) were lost to follow-up (LTFU). The crude incidence rate of attrition was 3.2 events/100 PY, mortality rate was 2.7/100 PY and LTFU was 1.2/100 PY. The independent predictors of attrition included male sex (adjusted HR (AHR)=1.6, 95% CI: 1 to 2.4), residence outside Zoba Maekel (AHR=1.5, 95% CI: 1 to 2.3), later enrolment years (2010–2015: AHR=3.2, 95% CI: 1.9 to 5.3; >2015: AHR=6.1, 95% CI: 3 to 12.2), WHO body mass index-for-age z-score <−2 (AHR=1.4, 95% CI: 0.9 to 2.1), advanced HIV disease (WHO III or IV) at enrolment (AHR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.2 to 3.9), and initiation of zidovudine+lamivudine or other cART backbones (unadjusted HR (UHR)=2, 95% CI: 1.2 to 3.2). In contrast, a reduced likelihood of attrition was observed in children with a record of cART changes (UHR=0.2, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.4).Conclusion A low incidence of attrition was observed in this study. However, the high mortality rate in the first 24 months of treatment and late presentation are concerning. Therefore, data-driven interventions for improving programme quality and outcomes should be prioritised

Real-world treatment outcome of direct-acting antivirals and patient survival rates in chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Eritrea

Abstract Reliable real-world data on direct acting anti-retroviral (DAA) uptake and treatment outcomes are lacking for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in sub-Saharan Africa. This study provides data on HCV DAA-based treatment outcomes, mortality, loss-to-follow up, and associated factors among patients in Eritrea. A multicenter retrospective observational cohort study was conducted in two tertiary hospitals in Asmara, Eritrea. A structured checklist was used to collect data from patient’s cards. Descriptive and inferential statistics used included means (± Standard deviation (SD), medians (Interquartile range (IQR), chi-squire (χ2), Kaplan–Meier estimates, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. A total of 238 patients with median age of 59 years (IQR 50–69 years) were enrolled in the study. Out of the 227 patients initiated on treatment, 125 patients had viral load measurements at 12 weeks after end of treatment (EOT) whereas 102 patients had no viral load measurements at 12 weeks EOT. Among the patients with HCV RNA data post-EOT 12, 116 (92.8%) had sustained viral response (SVR). The prevalence of death and loss-to-follow up (LTFU) were (7.5%, 95% CI 1.7–4.1) and 67 (28.1%, 95% CI 22.3–33.9) translating into an incidence of 1.1 (95% CI 0.8–1.5) per 10,000 person days. Independent predictors of LTFU included the enrollment year (2020: aHR = 2.2, 95% CI 1–4.7; p value = 0.04); Hospital (Hospital B: aHR = 2.2, 95% CI 1–4.7; p value = 0.03) and the FIB-4 score (FIB-Score < 1.45: aHR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.2–11.5; p value = 0.02). The SVR rates achieved in this cohort were high. However, high LTFU and high mortality driven largely by late presentation and suboptimal population screening/case finding, were uncovered. These challenges can be addressed by test-and-treat programs that simultaneously prioritize programmatic screening, decentralization of care, and better patient tracking in the HCV care cascade

Genotyping and sero-virological characterization of hepatitis B virus-infected blood donors in Central Eritrea: Supplementary methods

Aim: To determine the serological markers and genotype profiles of hepatitis B virus (HBV) isolates in Central Eritrea. Materials & methods: A total of 191 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive sera were randomly selected for the study. ELISA was used to perform HBV seromarker screening, genotypes were determined using multiplex-nested PCR. Results: Of 191, 77.5% (148/191) were positive for HBcAb (total), among which 99.3% (147/148) and 0.7% (1/148) were positive for HBsAg and hepatitis B surface antibody, respectively. Of the 147 positive HBcAb/HBsAg, 16 (10.9%) and 131 (77.9%) were positive for HBeAg and HBeAb, respectively. A total of 73 HBV isolates were successfully genotyped: 39 (53.4%) D; 10 (13.7%) E; 6 (8.2%) A; 6 (8.2%) C/D; 4 (5.5%) C; 3 (4.1%) C/D/E; 2 (2.7%) A/D; 2 (2.7%) D/E; and 1 (1.4%) B/D. Conclusion: HBV genotype D is the predominant genotype among blood donors in Eritrea.</p

The Presence of Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies and Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: A Case-Control Study among Sudanese Patients

Patients infected with COVID-19 are at an increased risk for thrombosis, suggesting a possible role of COVID-19 in the induction of coagulopathy. This study aimed to investigate the presence of prothrombotic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) in the course of COVID-19 infection and to correlate these markers with severity and fatality, suggesting that COVID-19-induced autoimmune thrombosis is a possible axis in the inflammatory circuit of this infection. To investigate this, we conducted a case-control study which included patients with a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test of COVID-19 and a control group with negative COVID-19 PCR and antibody (IgG-IgM and IgA nucleoprotein) ELISA results. An indirect immunofluorescence assay using granulocyte biochips (Aesku slides from AESKU DIAGNOSTICS, Germany) was used to detect ANCA (IgG), as well as multiplex ELISA for the detection of antiphospholipid antibodies for all patients with COVID-19 and for the control group. The results revealed the detection of antiphospholipid antibodies (IgG) in one patient out of the 45 patients in the case group. 1/45(2.2%) and 7/45(15.6%) tested positive for ANCA. Five were men and two were females, with one case revealed to be positive for both aPL and ANCA. A cytoplasmic reaction on the eosinophil granulocytes was observed in 2 cases; both were positive for ANCA. Other markers (CRP, APTT, PT, INR, ESR, and neutrophil and lymphocyte counts) were included in the study, along with demographic data. No aPL or ANCA reactions were detected for any of the control groups. These findings suggest that aPL and ANCA may be induced during the course of inflammation in COVID-19 and possibly contribute to the disease’s severity and mortality

Magnitude of Multidrug Resistance among Bacterial Isolates from Surgical Site Infections in Two National Referral Hospitals in Asmara, Eritrea

Background. The World Health Organization has emphasized the importance of understanding the epidemiology of MDR organisms from a local standpoint. Here, we report on a spectrum of bacteria associated with surgical site infections in two referral hospitals in Eritrea and the associated antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Methods. This survey was conducted between February and May 2017. A total of 83 patients receiving treatment for various surgical conditions were included. Swabs from infected surgical sites were collected using Levine technique and processed using standard microbiological procedures. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on Mueller–Hinton Agar by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method following Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results. A total of 116 isolates were recovered from 83 patients. In total, 67 (58%) and 49 (42%) of the isolates were Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The most common isolates included Citrobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., Enterobacter spp., and Acinetobacter spp. In contrast, Staphylococcus aureus, CONS, and Streptococcus viridians were the predominant Gram-positive isolates. All the Staphylococcus aureus isolates were resistant to penicillin. MRSA phenotype was observed in 70% of the isolates. Vancomycin, clindamycin, and erythromycin resistance were observed in 60%, 25%, and 25% of the isolates, respectively. Furthermore, a high proportion (91%) of the Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to ampicillin and 100% of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli isolates were resistant to >5 of the tested antibiotics. The two Acinetobacter isolates were resistant to >7 antimicrobial agents. We also noted that 4 (60%) of the Klebsiella isolates were resistant to >5 antimicrobial agents. Possible pan-drug-resistant (PDR) strains were also isolated. Conclusion. Due to the high frequency of MDR isolates reported in this study, the development and implementation of suitable infection control policies and guidelines is imperative

Global perspective of familial hypercholesterolaemia: a cross-sectional study from the EAS Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC)

none724siBackground The European Atherosclerosis Society Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC) global registry provides a platform for the global surveillance of familial hypercholesterolaemia through harmonisation and pooling of multinational data. In this study, we aimed to characterise the adult population with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and described how it is detected and managed globally.Methods Using FHSC global registry data, we did a cross-sectional assessment of adults (aged 18 years or older) with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of probable or definite heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia at the time they were entered into the registries. Data were assessed overall and by WHO regions, sex, and index versus non-index cases.Findings Of the 61 612 individuals in the registry, 42 167 adults (21 999 [53.6%] women) from 56 countries were included in the study. Of these, 31 798 (75.4%) were diagnosed with the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria, and 35 490 (84.2%) were from the WHO region of Europe. Median age of participants at entry in the registry was 46.2 years (IQR 34.3-58.0); median age at diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia was 44.4 years (32.5-56.5), with 40.2% of participants younger than 40 years when diagnosed. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors increased progressively with age and varied by WHO region. Prevalence of coronary disease was 17.4% (2.1% for stroke and 5.2% for peripheral artery disease), increasing with concentrations of untreated LDL cholesterol, and was about two times lower in women than in men. Among patients receiving lipid-lowering medications, 16 803 (81.1%) were receiving statins and 3691 (21.2%) were on combination therapy, with greater use of more potent lipid-lowering medication in men than in women. Median LDL cholesterol was 5.43 mmol/L (IQR 4.32-6.72) among patients not taking lipid-lowering medications and 4.23 mmol/L (3.20-5.66) among those taking them. Among patients taking lipid-lowering medications, 2.7% had LDL cholesterol lower than 1.8 mmol/L; the use of combination therapy, particularly with three drugs and with proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitors, was associated with a higher proportion and greater odds of having LDL cholesterol lower than 1.8 mmol/L. Compared with index cases, patients who were non-index cases were younger, with lower LDL cholesterol and lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases (all p&lt;0.001).Interpretation Familial hypercholesterolaemia is diagnosed late. Guideline-recommended LDL cholesterol concentrations are infrequently achieved with single-drug therapy. Cardiovascular risk factors and presence of coronary disease were lower among non-index cases, who were diagnosed earlier. Earlier detection and greater use of combination therapies are required to reduce the global burden of familial hypercholesterolaemia. Copyright (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.mixedVallejo-Vaz, Antonio J.; Stevens, Christophe A.T.; Lyons, Alexander R.M.; Dharmayat, Kanika I.; Freiberger, Tomas; Hovingh, G. Kees; Mata, Pedro; Raal, Frederick J.; Santos, Raul D.; Soran, Handrean; Watts, Gerald F.; Abifadel, Marianne; Aguilar-Salinas, Carlos A.; Alhabib, Khalid F.; Alkhnifsawi, Mutaz; Almahmeed, Wael; Alnouri, Fahad; Alonso, Rodrigo; Al-Rasadi, Khalid; Al-Sarraf, Ahmad; Al-Sayed, Nasreen; Araujo, Francisco; Ashavaid, Tester F.; Banach, Maciej; Béliard, Sophie; Benn, Marianne; Binder, Christoph J.; Bogsrud, Martin P.; Bourbon, Mafalda; Chlebus, Krzysztof; Corral, Pablo; Davletov, Kairat; Descamps, Olivier S.; Durst, Ronen; Ezhov, Marat; Gaita, Dan; Genest, Jacques; Groselj, Urh; Harada-Shiba, Mariko; Holven, Kirsten B.; Kayikcioglu, Meral; Khovidhunkit, Weerapan; Lalic, Katarina; Latkovskis, Gustavs; Laufs, Ulrich; Liberopoulos, Evangelos; Lima-Martinez, Marcos M.; Lin, Jie; Maher, Vincent; Marais, A. David; März, Winfried; Mirrakhimov, Erkin; Miserez, André R.; Mitchenko, Olena; Nawawi, Hapizah; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Panayiotou, Andrie G.; Paragh, György; Petrulioniene, Zaneta; Pojskic, Belma; Postadzhiyan, Arman; Raslova, Katarina; Reda, Ashraf; Reiner, Željko; Sadiq, Fouzia; Sadoh, Wilson Ehidiamen; Schunkert, Heribert; Shek, Aleksandr B.; Stoll, Mario; Stroes, Erik; Su, Ta-Chen; Subramaniam, Tavintharan; Susekov, Andrey V.; Tilney, Myra; Tomlinson, Brian; Truong, Thanh Huong; Tselepis, Alexandros D.; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Vázquez Cárdenas, Alejandra; Viigimaa, Margus; Wang, Luya; Yamashita, Shizuya; Kastelein, John J.P.; Bruckert, Eric; Vohnout, Branislav; Schreier, Laura; Pang, Jing; Ebenbichler, Christoph; Dieplinger, Hans; Innerhofer, Reinhold; Winhofer-Stöckl, Yvonne; Greber-Platzer, Susanne; Krychtiuk, Konstantin; Speidl, Walter; Toplak, Hermann; Widhalm, Kurt; Stulnig, Thomas; Huber, Kurt; Höllerl, Florian; Rega-Kaun, Gersina; Kleemann, Lucas; Mäser, Martin; Scholl-Bürgi, Sabine; Säly, Christoph; Mayer, Florian J.; Sablon, Gaelle; Tarantino, Eric; Nzeyimana, Charlotte; Pojskic, Lamija; Sisic, Ibrahim; Nalbantic, Azra D.; Jannes, Cinthia E.; Pereira, Alexandre C.; Krieger, Jose E.; Petrov, Ivo; Goudev, Assen; Nikolov, Fedya; Tisheva, Snejana; Yotov, Yoto; Tzvetkov, Ivajlo; Baass, Alexis; Bergeron, Jean; Bernard, Sophie; Brisson, Diane; Brunham, Liam R.; Cermakova, Lubomira; Couture, Patrick; Francis, Gordon A.; Gaudet, Daniel; Hegele, Robert A.; Khoury, Etienne; Mancini, G.B. John; McCrindle, Brian W.; Paquette, Martine; Ruel, Isabelle; Cuevas, Ada; Asenjo, Sylvia; Wang, Xumin; Meng, Kang; Song, Xiantao; Yong, Qiang; Jiang, Tao; Liu, Ziyou; Duan, Yanyu; Hong, Jing; Ye, Pucong; Chen, Yan; Qi, Jianguang; Liu, Zesen; Li, Yuntao; Zhang, Chaoyi; Peng, Jie; Yang, Ya; Yu, Wei; Wang, Qian; Yuan, Hui; Cheng, Shitong; Jiang, Long; Chong, Mei; Jiao, Jian; Wu, Yue; Wen, Wenhui; Xu, Liyuan; Zhang, Ruiying; Qu, Yichen; He, Jianxun; Fan, Xuesong; Wang, Zhenjia; Chow, Elaine; Pećin, Ivan; Perica, Dražen; Symeonides, Phivos; Vrablik, Michal; Ceska, Richard; Soska, Vladimir; Tichy, Lukas; Adamkova, Vera; Franekova, Jana; Cifkova, Renata; Kraml, Pavel; Vonaskova, Katerina; Cepova, Jana; Dusejovska, Magdalena; Pavlickova, Lenka; Blaha, Vladimir; Rosolova, Hana; Nussbaumerova, Barbora; Cibulka, Roman; Vaverkova, Helena; Cibickova, Lubica; Krejsova, Zdenka; Rehouskova, Katerina; Malina, Pavel; Budikova, Milena; Palanova, Vaclava; Solcova, Lucie; Lubasova, Alena; Podzimkova, Helena; Bujdak, Juraj; Vesely, Jiri; Jordanova, Marta; Salek, Tomas; Urbanek, Robin; Zemek, Stanislav; Lacko, Jan; Halamkova, Hana; Machacova, Sona; Mala, Sarka; Cubova, Eva; Valoskova, Katerina; Burda, Lukas; Bendary, Ahmed; Daoud, Ihab; Emil, Sameh; Elbahry, Atef; Rafla, Samir; Sanad, Osama; Kazamel, Ghada; Ashraf, Mohamed; Sobhy, Mohamed; El-Hadidy, Amro; Shafy, Mohamed A.; Kamal, Saif; Bendary, Mohamed; Talviste, Grete; Angoulvant, Denis; Boccara, Franck; Cariou, Bertrand; Carreau, Valérie; Carrie, Alain; Charrieres, Sybil; Cottin, Yves; Di-Fillipo, Mathilde; Ducluzeau, Pierre H.; Dulong, Sonia; Durlach, Vincent; Farnier, Michel; Ferrari, Emile; Ferrieres, Dorota; Ferrieres, Jean; Gallo, Antonio; hankard, Regis; Inamo, Jocelyne; Lemale, Julie; Moulin, Philippe; Paillard, François; Peretti, Noel; Perrin, Agnès; Pradignac, Alain; Rabes, Jean P.; Rigalleau, Vincent; Sultan, Ariane; Schiele, François; Tounian, Patrick; Valero, René; Verges, Bruno; Yelnik, Cécile; Ziegler, Olivier; Haack, Ira A.; Schmidt, Nina; Dressel, Alexander; Klein, Isabel; Christmann, Jutta; Sonntag, Antonia; Stumpp, Christine; Boger, Diana; Biedermann, Dana; Usme, Monica M.N.; Beil, F. Ulrich; Klose, Gerald; König, Christel; Gouni-Berthold, Ioanna; Otte, Britta; Böll, Gereon; Kirschbaum, Anja; Merke, Jürgen; Scholl, Johannes; Segiet, Thomas; Gebauer, Marco; Predica, Florentina; Mayer, Manfred; Leistikow, Frank; Füllgraf-Horst, Sabine; Müller, Cornelius; Schüler, Melanie; Wiener, Judith; Hein, Konrad; Baumgartner, Peter; Kopf, Stefan; Busch, Reinhold; Schömig, Michael; Matthias, Stephan; Allendorf-Ostwald, Nicole; Fink, Bruno; Böhm, Dieter; Jäkel, Alexander; Koschker, Ann-Cathrin; Schweizer, Rüdiger; Vogt, Anja; Parhofer, Klaus; König, Wolfgang; Reinhard, Wibke; Bäßler, Andrea; Stadelmann, Alexander; Schrader, Volker; Katzmann, Julius; Tarr, Adrienne; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Kassner, Ursula; Paulsen, Gerret; Homberger, Jürgen; Zemmrich, Claudia; Seeger, Wolfgang; Biolik, Kathrin; Deiss, Dorothee; Richter, Corinna; Pantchechnikova, Elina; Dorn, Elena; Schatz, Ulrike; Julius, Ulrich; Spens, Antje; Wiesner, Tobias; Scholl, Michael; Rizos, Christos V.; Sakkas, Nikolaos; Elisaf, Moses; Skoumas, Ioannis; Tziomalos, Konstantinos; Rallidis, Loukianos; Kotsis, Vasileios; Doumas, Michalis; Athyros, Vasileios; Skalidis, Emmanouil; Kolovou, Genovefa; Garoufi, Anastasia; Bilianou, Eleni; Koutagiar, Iosif; Agapakis, Dimitrios; Kiouri, Estela; Antza, Christina; Katsiki, Niki; Zacharis, Evangelos; Attilakos, Achilleas; Sfikas, George; Koumaras, Charalambos; Anagnostis, Panagiotis; Anastasiou, Georgia; Liamis, George; Koutsogianni, Amalia-Despoina; Karányi, Zsolt; Harangi, Mariann; Bajnok, László; Audikovszky, Mária; Márk, László; Benczúr, Béla; Reiber, István; Nagy, Gergely; Nagy, András; Reddy, Lakshmi L.; Shah, Swarup A.V.; Ponde, Chandrashekhar K.; Dalal, Jamshed J.; Sawhney, Jitendra P.S.; Verma, Ishwar C.; Altaey, Mays; Al-Jumaily, Khalid; Rasul, Dilshad; Abdalsahib, Ali F.; Jabbar, Amer A.; Al-ageedi, Mohanad; Agar, Ruth; Cohen, Hofit; Ellis, Avishay; Gavishv, Dov; Harats, Dror; Henkin, Yaacov; Knobler, Hila; Leavit, Leah; Leitersdorf, Eran; Rubinstein, Ardon; Schurr, Daniel; Shpitzen, Shoshi; Szalat, Auryan; Casula, Manuela; Zampoleri, Veronica; Gazzotti, Marta; Olmastroni, Elena; Sarzani, Riccardo; Ferri, Claudio; Repetti, Elena; Sabbà, Carlo; Bossi, Antonio Carlo; Borghi, Claudio; Muntoni, Sandro; Cipollone, Francesco; Purrello, Francesco; Pujia, Arturo; Passaro, Angelina; Marcucci, Rossella; Pecchioli, Valerio; Pisciotta, Livia; Mandraffino, Giuseppe; Pellegatta, Fabio; Mombelli, Giuliana; Branchi, Adriana; Fiorenza, Anna Maria; Pederiva, Cristina; Werba, Josè Pablo; Parati, Gianfranco; Carubbi, Francesca; Iughetti, Lorenzo; Iannuzzi, Arcangelo; Iannuzzo, Gabriella; Calabrò, Paolo; Averna, Maurizio; Biasucci, Giacomo; Zambon, Sabina; Roscini, Anna Rita; Trenti, Chiara; Arca, Marcello; Federici, Massimo; Del Ben, Maria; Bartuli, Andrea; Giaccari, Andrea; Pipolo, Antonio; Citroni, Nadia; Guardamagna, Ornella; Bonomo, Katia; Benso, Andrea; Biolo, Gianni; Maroni, Lorenzo; Lupi, Alessandro; Bonanni, Luca; Zenti, Maria Grazia; Matsuki, Kota; Hori, Mika; Ogura, Masatsune; Masuda, Daisaku; Kobayashi, Takuya; Nagahama, Kumiko; Al-Jarallah, Mohammed; Radovic, Mirjana; Lunegova, Olga; Bektasheva, Erkayim; Khodzhiboboev, Elyor; Erglis, Andrejs; Gilis, Dainus; Nesterovics, Georgijs; Saripo, Vita; Meiere, Ruta; Upena-RozeMicena, Arta; Terauda, Elizabete; Jambart, Selim; Khoury, Petra E.; Elbitar, Sandy; Ayoub, Carine; Ghaleb, Youmna; Aliosaitiene, Urte; Kutkiene, Sandra; Kasim, Noor A.M.; Nor, Noor S.M.; Ramli, Anis S.; Razak, Suraya A.; Al-Khateeb, Alyaa; Kadir, Siti H.S.A.; Muid, Suhaila A.; Rahman, Thuhairah A.; Kasim, Sazzli S.; Radzi, Ahmad B.M.; Ibrahim, Khairul S.; Razali, Salmi; Ismail, Zaliha; Ghani, Rohana A.; Hafidz, Muhammad I.A.; Chua, Ang L.; Rosli, Marshima M.; Annamalai, Muthukkaruppan; Teh, Lay K.; Razali, Rafezah; Chua, Yung A.; Rosman, Azhari; Sanusi, Abdul R.; Murad, Nor A.A.; Jamal, A. Rahman A.; Nazli, Sukma A.; Razman, Aimi Z.; Rosman, Norhidayah; Rahmat, Radzi; Hamzan, Nur S.; Azzopardi, C.; Mehta, Roopa; Martagon, Alexandro J.; Ramirez, Gabriela A.G.; Villa, Neftali E.A.; Vazquez, Arsenio V.; Elias-Lopez, Daniel; Retana, Gustavo G.; Rodriguez, Betsabel; Macías, Jose J.C.; Zazueta, Alejandro R.; Alvarado, Rocio M.; Portano, Julieta D.M.; Lopez, Humberto A.; Sauque-Reyna, Leobardo; Herrera, Laura G.G.; Mendia, Luis E.S.; Aguilar, Humberto Garcia; Cooremans, Elizabeth R.; Aparicio, Berenice P.; Zubieta, Victoria M.; Gonzalez, Perla A.C.; Ferreira-Hermosillo, Aldo; Portilla, Nacu C.; Dominguez, Guadalupe J.; Garcia, Alinna Y.R.; Cazares, Hector E.A.; Gonzalez, Jesus R.; Valencia, Carla V.M.; Padilla, Francisco G.; Prado, Ramon M.; De los Rios Ibarra, Manuel O.; Villicaña, Ruy D.A.; Rivera, Karina J.A.; Carrera, Ricardo A.; Alvarez, Jose A.; Martinez, Jose C.A.; de los Reyes Barrera Bustillo, Manuel; Vargas, Gonzalo C.; Chacon, Roberto C.; Andrade, Mario H.F.; Ortega, Ashanty F.; Alcala, Hector G.; de Leon, Laura E.G.; Guzman, Berenice G.; Garcia, Jose J.G.; Cuellar, Juan C.G.; Cruz, Jose R.G.; Garcia, Anell Hernandez; Almada, Jesus R.H.; Herrera, Ursulo J.; Sobrevilla, Fabiola L.; Rodriguez, Eduardo M.; Sibaja, Cristina M.; Rodriguez, Alma B.M.; Oyervides, Jose C.M.; Vazquez, Daniel I.P.; Rodriguez, Eduardo A.R.; Osorio, Ma L.R.; Saucedo, Juan R.; Tamayo, Margarita T.; Talavera, Luis A.V.; Arroyo, Luis E.V.; Carrillo, Eloy A.Z.; Isara, Alphonsus; Obaseki, Darlington E.; Al-Waili, Khalid; Al-Zadjali, Fahad; Al-Zakwani, Ibrahim; Al-Kindi, Mohammed; Al-Mukhaini, Suad; Al-Barwani, Hamida; Rana, Asim; Shah, Lahore S.U.; Starostecka, Ewa; Konopka, Agnieszka; Lewek, Joanna; Bartłomiejczyk, Marcin; Gąsior, Mariusz; Dyrbuś, Krzysztof; Jóźwiak, Jacek; Gruchała, Marcin; Pajkowski, Marcin; Romanowska-Kocejko, Marzena; Żarczyńska-Buchowiecka, Marta; Chmara, Magdalena; Wasąg, Bartosz; Parczewska, Aleksandra; Gilis-Malinowska, Natasza; Borowiec-Wolna, Justyna; Stróżyk, Aneta; Woś, Marlena; Michalska-Grzonkowska, Aleksandra; Medeiros, Ana M.; Alves, Ana C.; Silva, Francisco; Lobarinhas, Goreti; Palma, Isabel; de Moura, Jose P.; Rico, Miguel T.; Rato, Quitéria; Pais, Patrícia; Correia, Susana; Moldovan, Oana; Virtuoso, Maria J.; Salgado, Jose M.; Colaço, Ines; Dumitrescu, Andreea; Lengher, Calin; Mosteoru, Svetlana; Meshkov, Alexey; Ershova, Alexandra; Rozkova, Tatiana; Korneva, Victoria; Yu, Kuznetsova T.; Zafiraki, Vitaliy; Voevoda, Mikhail; Gurevich, Victor; Duplyakov, Dmitry; Ragino, Yulia; Safarova, Maya; Shaposhnik, Igor; Alkaf, Fahmi; Khudari, Alia; Rwaili, Nawal; Al-Allaf, Faisal; Alghamdi, Mohammad; Batais, Mohammed A.; Almigbal, Turky H.; Kinsara, Abdulhalim; AlQudaimi, Ashraf H.A.; Awan, Zuhier; Elamin, Omer A.; Altaradi, Hani; Rajkovic, Natasa; Popovic, Ljiljana; Singh, Sandra; Stosic, Ljubica; Rasulic, Iva; Lalic, Nebojsa M.; Lam, Carolyn; Le, Tan J.; Siang, Eric L.T.; Dissanayake, Sanjaya; I-Shing, Justin T.; Shyong, Tai E.; Jin, Terrance C.S.; Balinth, Karin; Buganova, Ingrid; Fabryova, Lubomira; Kadurova, Michaela; Klabnik, Alexander; Kozárová, Miriam; Sirotiakova, Jana; Battelino, Tadej; Kovac, Jernej; Mlinaric, Matej; Sustar, Ursa; Podkrajsek, Katarina T.; Fras, Zlatko; Jug, Borut; Cevc, Matija; Pilcher, Gillian J.; Blom, D.J.; Wolmarans, K.H.; Brice, B.C.; Muñiz-Grijalvo, Ovidio; Díaz-Díaz, Jose L.; de Isla, Leopoldo P.; Fuentes, Francisco; Badimon, Lina; Martin, François; Lux, Angela; Chang, Nien-Tzu; Ganokroj, Poranee; Akbulut, Mehmet; Alici, Gökhan; Bayram, Fahri; Can, Levent H.; Celik, Ahmet; Ceyhan, Ceyhun; Coskun, Fatma Y.; Demir, Mesut; Demircan, Sabri; Dogan, Volkan; Durakoglugil, Emre; Dural, Ibrahim E.; Gedikli, Omer; Hacioglu, Aysa; Ildizli, Muge; Kilic, Salih; Kirilmaz, Bahadir; Kutlu, Merih; Oguz, Aytekin; Ozdogan, Oner; Onrat, Ersel; Ozer, Savas; Sabuncu, Tevfik; Sahin, Tayfun; Sivri, Fatih; Sonmez, Alper; Temizhan, Ahmet; Topcu, Selim; Tuncez, Abdullah; Vural, Mirac; Yenercag, Mustafa; Yesilbursa, Dilek; Yigit, Zerrin; Yildirim, Aytul B.; Yildirir, Aylin; Yilmaz, Mehmet B.; Atallah, Bassam; Traina, Mahmoud; Sabbour, Hani; Hay, Dana A.; Luqman, Neama; Elfatih, Abubaker; Abdulrasheed, Arshad; Kwok, See; Oca, Nicolas D.; Reyes, Ximena; Alieva, Rano B.; Kurbanov, Ravshanbek D.; Hoshimov, Shavkat U.; Nizamov, Ulugbek I.; Ziyaeva, Adolat V.; Abdullaeva, Guzal J.; Do, Doan L.; Nguyen, Mai N.T.; Kim, Ngoc T.; Le, Thanh T.; Le, Hong A.; Tokgozoglu, Lale; Catapano, Alberico L.; Ray, Kausik K.Vallejo-Vaz, Antonio J.; Stevens, Christophe A. T.; Lyons, Alexander R. M.; Dharmayat, Kanika I.; Freiberger, Tomas; Hovingh, G. Kees; Mata, Pedro; Raal, Frederick J.; Santos, Raul D.; Soran, Handrean; Watts, Gerald F.; Abifadel, Marianne; Aguilar-Salinas, Carlos A.; Alhabib, Khalid F.; Alkhnifsawi, Mutaz; Almahmeed, Wael; Alnouri, Fahad; Alonso, Rodrigo; Al-Rasadi, Khalid; Al-Sarraf, Ahmad; Al-Sayed, Nasreen; Araujo, Francisco; Ashavaid, Tester F.; Banach, Maciej; Béliard, Sophie; Benn, Marianne; Binder, Christoph J.; Bogsrud, Martin P.; Bourbon, Mafalda; Chlebus, Krzysztof; Corral, Pablo; Davletov, Kairat; Descamps, Olivier S.; Durst, Ronen; Ezhov, Marat; Gaita, Dan; Genest, Jacques; Groselj, Urh; Harada-Shiba, Mariko; Holven, Kirsten B.; Kayikcioglu, Meral; Khovidhunkit, Weerapan; Lalic, Katarina; Latkovskis, Gustavs; Laufs, Ulrich; Liberopoulos, Evangelos; Lima-Martinez, Marcos M.; Lin, Jie; Maher, Vincent; Marais, A. David; März, Winfried; Mirrakhimov, Erkin; Miserez, André R.; Mitchenko, Olena; Nawawi, Hapizah; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Panayiotou, Andrie G.; Paragh, György; Petrulioniene, Zaneta; Pojskic, Belma; Postadzhiyan, Arman; Raslova, Katarina; Reda, Ashraf; Reiner, Željko; Sadiq, Fouzia; Sadoh, Wilson Ehidiamen; Schunkert, Heribert; Shek, Aleksandr B.; Stoll, Mario; Stroes, Erik; Su, Ta-Chen; Subramaniam, Tavintharan; Susekov, Andrey V.; Tilney, Myra; Tomlinson, Brian; Truong, Thanh Huong; Tselepis, Alexandros D.; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Vázquez Cárdenas, Alejandra; Viigimaa, Margus; Wang, Luya; Yamashita, Shizuya; Kastelein, John J. P.; Bruckert, Eric; Vohnout, Branislav; Schreier, Laura; Pang, Jing; Ebenbichler, Christoph; Dieplinger, Hans; Innerhofer, Reinhold; Winhofer-Stöckl, Yvonne; Greber-Platzer, Susanne; Krychtiuk, Konstantin; Speidl, Walter; Toplak, Hermann; Widhalm, Kurt; Stulnig, Thomas; Huber, Kurt; Höllerl, Florian; Rega-Kaun, Gersina; Kleemann, Lucas; Mäser, Martin; Scholl-Bürgi, Sabine; Säly, Christoph; Mayer, Florian J.; Sablon, Gaelle; Tarantino, Eric; Nzeyimana, Charlotte; Pojskic, Lamija; Sisic, Ibrahim; Nalbantic, Azra D.; Jannes, Cinthia E.; Pereira, Alexandre C.; Krieger, Jose E.; Petrov, Ivo; Goudev, Assen; Nikolov, Fedya; Tisheva, Snejana; Yotov, Yoto; Tzvetkov, Ivajlo; Baass, Alexis; Bergeron, Jean; Bernard, Sophie; Brisson, Diane; Brunham, Liam R.; Cermakova, Lubomira; Couture, Patrick; Francis, Gordon A.; Gaudet, Daniel; Hegele, Robert A.; Khoury, Etienne; Mancini, G. B. John; Mccrindle, Brian W.; Paquette, Martine; Ruel, Isabelle; Cuevas, Ada; Asenjo, Sylvia; Wang, Xumin; Meng, Kang; Song, Xiantao; Yong, Qiang; Jiang, Tao; Liu, Ziyou; Duan, Yanyu; Hong, Jing; Ye, Pucong; Chen, Yan; Qi, Jianguang; Liu, Zesen; Li, Yuntao; Zhang, Chaoyi; Peng, Jie; Yang, Ya; Yu, Wei; Wang, Qian; Yuan, Hui; Cheng, Shitong; Jiang, Long; Chong, Mei; Jiao, Jian; Wu, Yue; Wen, Wenhui; Xu, Liyuan; Zhang, Ruiying; Qu, Yichen; He, Jianxun; Fan, Xuesong; Wang, Zhenjia; Chow, Elaine; Pećin, Ivan; Perica, Dražen; Symeonides, Phivos; Vrablik, Michal; Ceska, Richard; Soska, Vladimir; Tichy, Lukas; Adamkova, Vera; Franekova, Jana; Cifkova, Renata; Kraml, Pavel; Vonaskova, Katerina; Cepova, Jana; Dusejovska, Magdalena; Pavlickova, Lenka; Blaha, Vladimir; Rosolova, Hana; Nussbaumerova, Barbora; Cibulka, Roman; Vaverkova, Helena; Cibickova, Lubica; Krejsova, Zdenka; Rehouskova, Katerina; Malina, Pavel; Budikova, Milena; Palanova, Vaclava; Solcova, Lucie; Lubasova, Alena; Podzimkova, Helena; Bujdak, Juraj; Vesely, Jiri; Jordanova, Marta; Salek, Tomas; Urbanek, Robin; Zemek, Stanislav; Lacko, Jan; Halamkova, Hana; Machacova, Sona; Mala, Sarka; Cubova, Eva; Valoskova, Katerina; Burda, Lukas; Bendary, Ahmed; Daoud, Ihab; Emil, Sameh; Elbahry, Atef; Rafla, Samir; Sanad, Osama; Kazamel, Ghada; Ashraf, Mohamed; Sobhy, Mohamed; El-Hadidy, Amro; Shafy, Mohamed A.; Kamal, Saif; Bendary, Mohamed; Talviste, Grete; Angoulvant, Denis; Boccara, Franck; Cariou, Bertrand; Carreau, Valérie; Carrie, Alain; Charrieres, Sybil; Cottin, Yves; Di-Fillipo, Mathilde; Ducluzeau, Pierre H.; Dulong, Sonia; Durlach, Vincent; Farnier, Michel; Ferrari, Emile; Ferrieres, Dorota; Ferrieres, Jean; Gallo, Antonio; Hankard, Regis; Inamo, Jocelyne; Lemale, Julie; Moulin, Philippe; Paillard, François; Peretti, Noel; Perrin, Agnès; Pradignac, Alain; Rabes, Jean P.; Rigalleau, Vincent; Sultan, Ariane; Schiele, François; Tounian, Patrick; Valero, René; Verges, Bruno; Yelnik, Cécile; Ziegler, Olivier; Haack, Ira A.; Schmidt, Nina; Dressel, Alexander; Klein, Isabel; Christmann, Jutta; Sonntag, Antonia; Stumpp, Christine; Boger, Diana; Biedermann, Dana; Usme, Monica M. N.; Beil, F. Ulrich; Klose, Gerald; König, Christel; Gouni-Berthold, Ioanna; Otte, Britta; Böll, Gereon; Kirschbaum, Anja; Merke, Jürgen; Scholl, Johannes; Segiet, Thomas; Gebauer, Marco; Predica, Florentina; Mayer, Manfred; Leistikow, Frank; Füllgraf-Horst, Sabine; Müller, Cornelius; Schüler, Melanie; Wiener, Judith; Hein, Konrad; Baumgartner, Peter; Kopf, Stefan; Busch, Reinhold; Schömig, Michael; Matthias, Stephan; Allendorf-Ostwald, Nicole; Fink, Bruno; Böhm, Dieter; Jäkel, Alexander; Koschker, Ann-Cathrin; Schweizer, Rüdiger; Vogt, Anja; Parhofer, Klaus; König, Wolfgang; Reinhard, Wibke; Bäßler, Andrea; Stadelmann, Alexander; Schrader, Volker; Katzmann, Julius; Tarr, Adrienne; Steinhagen-Thiessen, Elisabeth; Kassner, Ursula; Paulsen, Gerret; Homberger, Jürgen; Zemmrich, Claudia; Seeger, Wolfgang; Biolik, Kathrin; Deiss, Dorothee; Richter, Corinna; Pantchechnikova, Elina; Dorn, Elena; Schatz, Ulrike; Julius, Ulrich; Spens, Antje; Wiesner, Tobias; Scholl, Michael; Rizos, Christos V.; Sakkas, Nikolaos; Elisaf, Moses; Skoumas, Ioannis; Tziomalos, Konstantinos; Rallidis, Loukianos; Kotsis, Vasileios; Doumas, Michalis; Athyros, Vasileios; Skalidis, Emmanouil; Kolovou, Genovefa; Garoufi, Anastasi