Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

AIDS 2021 Jun;35(7):1073-1081

Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cumulative live birth rate in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic-sperm-injection (IVF/ICSI) according to the type of chronic viral infection [HIV, hepatitis-B virus (HBV) and hepatitis-C virus (HCV)].

Design: A cohort study.

Setting: A tertiary-care university hospital. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021 May 4:1-9. Epub 2021 May 4.

Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.

: A bibliometric analysis was conducted to build an all-inclusive view of the status of research on hepatitis A virus (HAV) for facilitating researchers, health professionals, and policymakers to understand the characteristics of research output in this particular domain.: A comprehensive search was conducted in the Web of Science database. The obtained data were exported into Microsoft Excel 2019, OriginPro 2018 and VOSviewer software for windows. Read More

Dig Dis Sci 2021 May 4. Epub 2021 May 4.

School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, 2052, Australia.

Background: Regular monitoring and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are known to reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. We sought to describe patterns of monitoring and treatment among adults diagnosed with CHB in Australia.

Methods: Population-based prospective cohort study of Australian adults aged 45 + years followed by record-linkage to hepatitis B notifications, monitoring and treatment. Read More

Sociol Health Illn 2021 May 4. Epub 2021 May 4.

University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

In efforts to control disease, mathematical models and numerical targets play a key role. We take the elimination of a viral infection as a case for exploring mathematical models as 'evidence-making interventions'. Using interviews with mathematical modellers and implementation scientists, and focusing on the emergence of models of 'treatment-as-prevention' in hepatitis C control, we trace how projections detach from their calculative origins as social and policy practices. Read More

J Korean Med Sci 2021 May 3;36(17):e109. Epub 2021 May 3.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.

Background: There is increasing interest in the quality of health care and considerable efforts are being made to improve it. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that can result in favorable outcomes when appropriate diagnosis and treatment are provided. However, several studies have shown that RA is often managed inappropriately. Read More

J Pak Med Assoc 2021 Feb;71(2(B)):708-712

The Indus Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.

Objective: To analyse frequencies and results of anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid and anti-extractable nuclear antigens tests ordered in a tertiary-care hospital.

Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, and comprised all tests ordered for anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid and anti-extractable nuclear antigens from March 2017 to January 2018. Data was retrieved from the institutional electronic database. Read More

Immunol Invest 2021 May 3:1-24. Epub 2021 May 3.

Departments of Microbiology & Immunology, Medicine and Pathology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.

Vaccines are an essential part of a preventative healthcare strategy. However, response to vaccines may be less predictable in immunocompromised people. While outcomes for individuals with autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases have dramatically improved with treatment using immunomodulating and biologic agents, infections have caused significant morbidity in these people today often more than due to their underlying diseases. Read More

Cell Transplant 2021 Jan-Dec;30:9636897211006132

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 6993Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Humanized liver mouse models are crucial tools in liver research, specifically in the fields of liver cell biology, viral hepatitis and drug metabolism. The livers of these humanized mouse models are repopulated by 3-dimensional islands of fully functional primary human hepatocytes (PHH), which are notoriously difficult to maintain in vitro. As low efficiency and high cost hamper widespread use, optimization is of great importance. Read More

Lancet Reg Health West Pac 2021 Apr 2;9:100115. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Australia.

Background: In Australia, COVID-19 diagnosis relies on RT-PCR testing which is relatively costly and time-consuming. To date, few studies have assessed the performance and implementation of rapid antigen-based SARS-CoV-2 testing in a setting with a low prevalence of COVID-19 infections, such as Australia.

Methods: This study recruited participants presenting for COVID-19 testing at three Melbourne metropolitan hospitals during a period of low COVID-19 prevalence. Read More

EClinicalMedicine 2021 May 28;35:100861. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar.

Background: Reinfection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been documented, raising public health concerns. SARS-CoV-2 reinfections were assessed in a cohort of antibody-positive persons in Qatar.

Methods: All SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive persons from April 16 to December 31, 2020 with a PCR-positive swab ≥14 days after the first-positive antibody test were investigated for evidence of reinfection. Read More

Cureus 2021 Mar 29;13(3):e14165. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Internal Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, USA.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, mesangial deposition of IgA in renal parenchyma, typically presents with hematuria and proteinuria. Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV), a small-vessel vasculitis, can present secondary to IgA. We will discuss a case of secondary IgA nephropathy with concomitant LCV in a patient with reactivated hepatitis C. Read More

Front Immunol 2021 14;12:668113. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Viro-immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) have increased systemic inflammation, and inflammation has been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of emphysema. We investigated whether elevated cytokine concentrations (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interferon-gamma (IFNγ), soluble CD14 (sCD14) and sCD163 were independently associated with radiographic emphysema in PLWH.

Methods: We included PLWH from the Copenhagen Comorbidity in HIV Infection (COCOMO) Study without hepatitis B and C co-infection and with a plasma sample and a chest computed tomography scan available. Read More

Front Microbiol 2021 14;12:645020. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Virology Laboratory, National Reference Centre of Hepatitis E Viruses, Federal Institute of Biology, University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotypes 3 and 4 are the major causes of acute hepatitis in industrialized countries. Genotype 3 is mainly found in Europe and America, while genotype 4 is predominant in Asia. Several Japanese studies have suggested that genotype 4 is more virulent than genotype 3. Read More

Adv Virus Res 2021 9;109:31-62. Epub 2020 Nov 9.

Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. Electronic address:

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a label-free molecular imaging technique allowing an untargeted detection of a broad range of biomolecules and xenobiotics. MSI enables imaging of the spatial distribution of proteins, peptides, lipids and metabolites from a wide range of samples. To date, this technique is commonly applied to tissue sections in cancer diagnostics and biomarker development, but also molecular histology in general. Read More

CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol 2021 May 2. Epub 2021 May 2.

Merck & Co., Inc, Kenilworth, NJ, USA.

Uprifosbuvir is a uridine nucleoside monophosphate prodrug inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B RNA polymerase. To quantitatively elucidate key metabolic pathways, assess the link between unmeasurable effect site concentrations and viral load reduction, and evaluate the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on PK and PD, a model informed drug development (MIDD) framework was initiated at an early stage. Originally scoped as a modelling effort focused on minimal PBPK and covariate analysis, this project turned into a collaborative effort, focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the data from drug metabolism, biopharmaceutics, pharmacometric and clinical pharmacology perspectives. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2021 May 2. Epub 2021 May 2.

Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.

In humans, hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for an acute enterically transmitted hepatitis, which can become chronic in immune-compromised patients. Genotypes 3 and 4 (HEV-3 and HEV-4) are zoonotic, and domestic pigs and wild boar are the main reservoirs. The occurrence of autochthonous cases in Europe, which have been increasing over the last 10 years, has been associated with food-borne zoonotic transmission of HEV-3, mainly linked to consumption of undercooked or raw pork products (sausages containing liver) and wild boar meat. Read More

J Viral Hepat 2021 May 1. Epub 2021 May 1.

Division for Healthcare Technology Assessment Research, National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Republic of Korea.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-monotherapy is recommended for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who are refractory to other drugs. Yet, little data are available for the effectiveness of TDF-monotherapy compared with TDF-based combination therapy on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and death/transplantation. This nationwide population-based cohort study included 11,289 CHB patients who initiated TDF rescue therapy after failure of preceding treatments between 2012 and 2014 in Korea. Read More

J Clin Virol 2021 Jan 27;139:104738. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK; Microbiology Department, Laboratoire National de Sante, Dudelange, Luxembourg. Electronic address:

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is emerging as a public health concern across Europe and tools for complete genome data to aid epidemiological and virulence analysis are needed. The high sequence heterogeneity observed amongst HEV genotypes has restricted most analyses to subgenomic regions using PCR-based methods, which can be unreliable due to poor primer homology. We designed a panel of custom-designed RNA probes complementary to all published HEV full genome NCBI sequences. Read More

Antiviral Res 2021 Apr 29:105080. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvanian, USA. Electronic address:

Assembly of hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsids is driven by the hydrophobic interaction of core protein (Cp) at dimer-dimer interface. Binding of core protein allosteric modulators (CpAMs) to a hydrophobic "HAP" pocket formed between the inter-dimer interface strengths the dimer-dimer interaction and misdirects the assembly of Cp dimers into non-capsid Cp polymers or morphologically normal capsids devoid of viral pregenomic (pg) RNA and DNA polymerase. In this study, we performed a systematic mutagenesis analysis to identify Cp amino acid residues at Cp dimer-dimer interface that are critical for capsid assembly, pgRNA encapsidation and resistance to CpAMs. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2021 May 1;21(1):198. Epub 2021 May 1.

Department of Immunoserology, National Health Laboratory (NHL), Asmara, Eritrea.

Background: Understanding the natural history of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection is important for determining optimal management and predicting prognosis in patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of different phases of CHB infection among Eritrean patients and to identify the proportion of patients who are eligible for treatment according to the latest American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) guidelines.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 293 CHB patients (213 males and 80 females) between Jan 2017 and Feb 2019. Read More

Res Vet Sci 2021 Apr 21;137:40-43. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Teramo, Località Piano D'Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) typically causes self-limiting acute viral hepatitis, however chronic infection and extrahepatic manifestations have increasingly become a significant health problem. Domestic pigs and wild boars are the main reservoirs of HEV genotype 3 and genotype 4 for human infections in industrialized countries, although molecular and serological evidence suggest that several additional animal species may act as HEV hosts. In this study, by assessing serologically and molecularly the sera of 324 household cats from Apulia region (Italy), HEV antibodies were detected with an overall prevalence of 3. Read More

Pathol Res Pract 2021 Apr 19;221:153451. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padua, Padua, Italy.

Few studies have focused on COVID-19 patients' hepatic histopathological features. Many of the described morphological landscapes are non-specific and possibly due to other comorbidities or to Sars-CoV-2-related therapies. We describe the hepatic histopathological findings of 3 liver biopsies obtained from living COVID-19 patients in which active SARS-CoV-2 infection was molecularly confirmed and biopsied because of significant alterations of liver function tests and 25 livers analyzed during COVID-19-related autopsies. Read More

Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2021 Apr 29;1866(8):158960. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam University Medical Centers Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Metabolism (AGEM), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Transporters expressed by hepatocytes and enterocytes play a critical role in maintaining the enterohepatic circulation of bile acids. The sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), exclusively expressed at the basolateral side of hepatocytes, mediates the uptake of conjugated bile acids. In conditions where bile flow is impaired (cholestasis), pharmacological inhibition of NTCP-mediated bile acid influx is suggested to reduce hepatocellular damage due to bile acid overload. Read More

J Viral Hepat 2021 May 1. Epub 2021 May 1.

Division of Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

This study investigated the ability of hepatitis B core related antigen (HBcrAg) to predict hepatitis B virus (HBV) relapse in HBeAg-negative patients after cessation of entecavir therapy. A total of 301 HBeAg-negative patients without cirrhosis who had stopped entecavir therapy for at least 12 months were recruited. All patients fulfilled the stopping criteria proposed by the APASL 2012 guidelines. Read More

J Viral Hepat 2021 May 1. Epub 2021 May 1.

Universidade Luterana do Brasil, ULBRA, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular Aplicada à Saúde, Canoas, RS, Brazil.

Hepatitis B virus genotype A (HBV-A) is disseminated in different countries around the world. It presents a high genetic diversity and is classified into seven subgenotypes (A1-A7). HBV-A1 and HBV-A2 are the most frequent and spread in almost all American countries. Read More

J Viral Hepat 2021 May 1. Epub 2021 May 1.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.

We compared the care cascades of Hepatitis C (HCV) mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected patients screened in a universal Emergency Department (ED) HCV screening program. This was a retrospective review of program data collected between June 6, 2018 and December 31, 2019. HIV and HCV status, linkage to care and treatment outcomes were abstracted from the program-screening database. Read More

Cell Death Dis 2021 Apr 30;12(5):426. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Increasing evidence supports that ferroptosis plays an important role in tumor growth inhibition. Sorafenib, originally identified as an inhibitor of multiple oncogenic kinases, has been shown to induce ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, some hepatoma cell lines are less sensitive to sorafenib-induced ferroptotic cell death. Read More

PLoS One 2021 30;16(4):e0251084. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Department of Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) kills millions of people globally; it is worse in pregnant women. HBV and Human Immune Virus (HIV) co-infection is associated with increased liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed at identifying the determinants of HBV infection among HIV-positive pregnant women. Read More

Chem Biodivers 2021 Apr 30. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Ningxia Medical University, pharmacy, 1160 Shengli Street, 750004, Yinchuan, CHINA.

Viola yedoensis Makino was used to treat inflammation, viral hepatitis, acute pyogenic infection, and ulcerative carbuncles. However, the protective effect on immunological liver injury (ILI) of V. yedoensis had been rarely reported. Read More

Adv Clin Exp Med 2021 Apr;30(4):361-367

Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains one of the most serious and prevalent health problems in the world.

Objectives: To determine the serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with low HBV DNA levels and analyze the influencing factors.

Material And Methods: Seventy-two CHB patients with low HBV DNA levels were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status; their age, sex, the incidence of HBV RNA level < lower limit of detection (LLD), and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), quantitative determination of HBsAg (qHBsAg), HBV DNA, and HBV RNA levels were compared. Read More