The evaluation of liver fibrosis regression in chronic hepatitis C patients after the treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents – A review of the literature

The second-generation of direct-acting antiviral agents are the current treatment for chronic viral hepatitis C infection. To evaluate the regression of liver fibrosis in patients receiving this therapy, liver biopsy remains the most accurate method, but the invasiveness of this procedure is its major drawback. Different non-invasive tests have been used to study changes in the stage of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis treated with the second-generation of direct-acting antiviral agents: liver stiffness measurements (with transient elastography or acoustic radiation force impulse elastography) or different scores that use serum markers to calculate a fibrosis score. We prepared a literature review of the available data regarding the long-term evolution of liver fibrosis after the treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic viral hepatitis C

Clinically Considerations About Induced Experimental Periodontitis in Rats Treated by Photodynamic Therapy

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the soft and hard tissue supporting the tooth, favoring the adhesion of bacteria that can generate dental laxity and bone resorption. This study aimed to test an experimental protocol for inducing periodontitis which allows a close clinical assessment and to evaluate the effectiveness of a photodynamic therapy (PDT) protocol to reverse the associated clinical signs. Fifteen Wistar male rats were used for this study, divided into three equal groups. Tooth scaling, rooting and planning of the first superior left molar were performed in all rats, causing the displacement of the gingiva in order to create an accumulation of plaque. A 5-0 cotton ligature was placed, provoking an inflammatory response removed after ten days. One group received one session of PDT; another group received 3 PDT; the last one represented the control group, with no treatment. Clinical evaluation was represented by assessing the body weight, mobility index and bleeding. A rat grimace scale was used to determine the pain. The results showed clinical aspects of periodontitis and healing tissue proved microscopically. The tested procedure can provide all the key biological factors present in periodontal disease and an option for reversing the clinical aspects