EBV Chronic Infections

The infection from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or virus of infectious mononucleosis, together with other herpes viruses’ infections, represents a prototype of persistent viral infections characterized by the property of the latency. Although the reactivations of the latent infection are associated with the resumption of the viral replication and eventually with the “shedding”, it is still not clear if this virus can determine chronic infectious diseases, more or less evolutive. These diseases could include some pathological conditions actually defined as “idiopathic”and characterized by the “viral persistence” as the more credible pathogenetic factor. Among the so-called idiopathic syndromes, the “chronic fatigue syndrome” (CFS) aroused a great interest around the eighties of the last century when, just for its relationship with EBV, it was called “chronic mononucleosis” or “chronic EBV infection”

Introducing Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases

Mediterranean Journal of Hematology and Infectious Diseases (MJHID) is a new open access, peer-reviewed, online journal, which encompasses different aspects of clinical and translational research providing an insight into the relationship between acute and chronic infections and hematological diseases. MJHID will be a topical journal on subjects of current importance in clinical haematology and infectious diseases. Every issue should have, beside the editor in chief, a guest editor. Both editor in chief and guest editor provide to invite experts in the selected topic to performe a complete update of the arguments readily available for practising phisicians. The journal will have also a section devoted to original papers, case reports and letters to editor and Editorial comment mostly focusing on the arguments treated in the previous topical issues

Iraq 1955: la diplomazia dell’amicizia italiana e il “bastione di cartapesta” inglese

The essay analyses the reactions of Italian diplomacy with respect to the Baghdad Pact. In the early 1950s, while France and Britain were obstinately striving to slow down the inexorable decline of their colonial empires and of their influence in the Mediterranean region, Italy was, instead, very keen on peace and stability in the Middle East, which was to be cultivated and defended by collaboration with all Islamic countries, and certainly not by military force. Italy was one of the few Western countries that could address the coastal Arab countries as a trustworthy, reliable partner, free from any neo-colonial aspirations and, above all, that respected the right of peoples to self-determination. This attitude was in the spirit of the Italian diplomacy of friendship, which was meant to be an original ‘Italian model’ of Mediterranean relations aiming at enhancing dialogue and cooperation between and among peers

La difesa del suolo

Estratto da: Salerno Economica della C.C.I.A.A. di Salerno, N.12 dicembre 1969Sul front.: Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato e Agricoltura Salern

Use of Hematopoietic Growth Factor in the Management of Hematological Side Effects Associated to Antiviral Treatment for Hcv Hepatitis

Haematological abnormalities are common during combination antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Although dose reduction or discontinuation can easily treat these side effects, they can adversely affect the efficacy of combination antiviral therapy reducing the likelihood of a sustained viral response (SVR). To avoid potentially diminishing a patient’s chance of response, many physicians have begun using growth factors off-label to manage anaemia and neutropenia in hepatitis C. Haematopoietic growth factors are generally well tolerated and they may be useful for managing haematological side effects of anti-HCV therapy improving patients’ quality of life. To date, the role and benefit of these agents during anti-HCV therapy and their positive impact on SVR have not conclusively determined in the published studies. However, the possibility of a benefit to individual outpatients remains, and an individualized approach is recommended. This review explores the incidence, clinical significance, and management of anaemia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia associated with combination therapy for HCV infection

Effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy in HIV-positive patients: evaluation to 144 weeks

Hypertension is more prevalent among HIV-infected subjects than in the general population, contributing to increased cardiovascular risk in HIV+ patients. The angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan is also a partial peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-γ agonist, with documented effects on improving hypertension, lipid metabolism and renal function. Therefore telmisartan was found to be the first choice for treatment of HIV+ hypertensive patients. Aim of this study was to evaluate the durability on 144 weeks of treatment with telmisartan in HIV+ patients. 13 HIV+ Caucasian male patients treated with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and discovered to be naïve hypertensive, were given 80 mg telmisartan daily. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, viro-immunological, lipid and metabolic parameters, including triglycerides, cholesterol, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), indexes of renal function and cardiovascular risk, microalbuminuria, cystatin C, were measured at baseline (T0), and after 24 (T24), 48 (T48), 72 (T72), 96 (T96), 120 (T120) and 144 (T144) weeks. Treatment with telmisartan decreased SBP and DBP levels during the 144 weeks of observation. We also observed improved HDL-cholesterol, HOMA-IR, microalbuminuria and cystatin C at the end of study. Triglycerides and total cholesterol significantly decreased and HDL-cholesterol significantly increased. Total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio improved significantly. Throughout in the course of the trial our patients showed a significant improvement of the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+. Eventually in all 144 weeks of therapy with telmisartan 80 mg/day have not observed adverse events or dropouts. Telmisartan was effective in improving hypertension, lipid metabolism and renal function in 144 weeks of evaluation. It determines the improvement of cystatin C and microalbuminuria, markers of renal function and cardiovascular risk. Telmisartan doesn't interfere with cART, not interfering with the recovery of immunological HIV patients. Telmisartan has confirmed durability and effectiveness, excellent tolerability and an high persistance with a good blood pressure control. Therefore telmisartan reveals the first choice in the treatment of hypertension in HIV+ because of significant morbidity in this group of patients

Differential expression of interferon-induced microRNAs in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection treated with pegylated interferon alpha

There have been reports of in-vitro interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral activity against the hepatitis C virus (HCV) through microRNAs (miRNAs). The main aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of several miRNAs (miR-1, miR-30, miR-128, miR-196, miR-296) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals after in vitro IFN-treatment and in PBMCs from patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) before and 12 hours after the first injection of pegylated IFN alpha. We demonstrated that expression of these miRNAs could be recorded in PBMCs collected from healthy individuals before and after in-vitro IFN alpha treatment. Our analysis revealed that the levels of expression of all miRNAs investigated in patients with CHC were different to those in healthy individuals. When levels of the miRNAs were measured 12 hours after the first IFN injection, increases in expression levels of IFN-induced miRNAs were observed in 25-50% of patients, depending on the type of miRNA examined. No correlations were observed between HCV viral load, alanine aminotransferase status and expression of miRNA. Together these findings suggest that: (i) IFN alpha in-vitro treatment of PBMCs leads to a transcriptional induction of all miRNAs investigated; (ii) miRNAs can be induced differentially by IFN treatment in patients with HCV. Given the importance of miRNAs in defending the host against virus infections, it is possible that IFN-induced miRNAs may represent an important determinant of the clinical outcome of IFN therapy in HCV infection

Environmental fate of triasulfuron in soils amended with municipal waste compost

This work was partially supported by the Leonardo da Vinci 2001. Degradation of imazosulfuron in soil. Pest Manage. Sci. program of the European Commission as part of the project 57:360–365. Pichon, V., C. Cau Dit Coumes, L. Chen, S. Guenu, and M.-C. Hen- ISDEPS 2002.The amendment of soil with compost may significantly influence the mobility and persistence of pesticides and thus affect their environmental fate. Factors like adsorption, kinetics, and rate of degradation of pesticides could be altered in amended soils. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the addition of compost made from source-separated municipal waste and green waste, on the fate of triasulfuron [(2-(2-chloroethoxy)-N-[[4-methoxy-6-methyl- 1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino] carbonyl]benzenesulfonamide], a sulfonylurea herbicide used in postemergence treatment of cereals. Two native soils with low organic matter content were used. A series of analyses was performed to evaluate the adsorption and degradation of the herbicide in soil and in solution after the addition of compost and compost-extracted organic fractions, namely humic acids (HA), fulvic acids (FA), and hydrophobic dissolved organic matter (HoDOM). Results have shown that the adsorption of triasulfuron to soil increases in the presence of compost, and that the HA and HoDOM fractions are mainly responsible for this increase. Hydrophobic dissolved organic matter applied to the soils underwent sorption reactions with the soils, and in the sorbed state, served to increase the adsorption capacity of the soil for triasulfuron. The rate of hydrolysis of triasulfuron in solution was significantly higher at acidic pH and the presence of organic matter fractions extracted from compost also slightly increased the rate of hydrolysis. The rate of degradation in amended and nonamended soils is explained by a two-stage degradation kinetics. During the initial phase, although triasulfuron degradation was rapid with a half-life of approximately 30 d, the presence of compost and HoDOM was found to slightly reduce the rate of degradation with respect to that in nonamended soil.peer-reviewe