Review
Immunology
Aixin Song, Xiao Lin, Junfeng Lu, Shan Ren, Zhenhuan Cao, Sujun Zheng, Zhongjie Hu, Hong Li, Chengli Shen, Xinyue Chen
Summary: The study found that for inactive HBsAg carriers, after 48 weeks of Peg-IFN treatment, the HBsAg clearance rate was 47% and the conversion rate was 26%, significantly higher than previous reports on Peg-IFN treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B. A low baseline HBsAg level and long treatment duration contributed to higher HBsAg clearance rates.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jung Wan Choe, Jong Jin Hyun, Bongseong Kim, Kyung-Do Han
Summary: The study investigated the synergistic effects of metabolic syndrome (MS) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) on cancer development, finding that the presence of MS increases the risk for most malignancies except for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Additionally, as the number of MS components increased, the risk for most cancers also increased, except for HCC which showed a negative association with an increasing number of MS components.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Na-Ling Kang, Qing-Fa Ruan, De-Sheng Zhang, Xue-Ping Yu, Zhen-Ting Hu, Zhi-Min Lin, Lu-Ying Wu, Meng-Xin Lin, Zu-Xiong Huang, Jia-Ji Jiang, Yu-Rui Liu, Ri-Cheng Mao, Da-Wu Zeng
Summary: The study aimed to examine the diagnostic value of APRI and FIB-4 in chronic HBV carriers with different ULNs for ALT. The GPSA model showed a higher diagnostic value for liver fibrosis in different carrier groups.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Luisa Roade, Mar Riveiro-Barciela, Adriana Palom, Francisco Rodriguez-Frias, Marta Bes, Ariadna Rando, Maria Teresa Salcedo, Rosario Casillas, Elena Vargas-Accarino, David Tabernero, Silvia Sauleda, Rafael Esteban, Maria Buti
Summary: This study assessed the usefulness of noninvasive markers for the identification of HBV inactive carriers (ICs) in a single-point evaluation and designed a predictive model for their identification. The study found that low baseline HBV DNA, HBcrAg, and liver stiffness were independently associated with the IC phase. The ACE score, obtained through the predictive model, accurately identified ICs.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Luisa Roade, Mar Riveiro-Barciela, Adriana Palom, Francisco Rodriguez-Frias, Marta Bes, Ariadna Rando, Maria Teresa Salcedo, Rosario Casillas, Elena Vargas-Accarino, David Tabernero, Silvia Sauleda, Rafael Esteban, Maria Buti
Summary: This study aimed to assess the usefulness of noninvasive markers for identifying HBV inactive carriers and to design a predictive model for their identification. An ACE score incorporating HBV DNA, HBcrAg, and liver stiffness was found to have high predictive value in identifying ICs at a single-point evaluation, potentially allowing for less intensive follow-up strategies.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ratchaya Lertnawapan, Soonthorn Chonprasertsuk, Sith Siramolpiwat, Kanon Jatuworapruk
Summary: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between the cumulative MTX dose, metabolic syndrome, and hepatic fibrosis in patients diagnosed with RA. The study found that hepatitis B virus infection, fatty liver, and obesity were associated with hepatic fibrosis in RA patients.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing-Hua Wang, Sung-Bae Lee, Dong-Soo Lee, Chang-Gue Son
Summary: The study revealed a negative correlation between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) level and severity of hepatic fibrosis in HBV patients, with higher sensitivity of TAC in evaluating liver fibrosis progression compared to APRI. TAC was found to reflect fibrosis levels differently in inactive carriers compared to active carriers, suggesting the involvement of TAC-composing factors in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis in chronic HBV carriers.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Chung-Feng Huang, Po-Cheng Liang, Pei-Chien Tsai, Yu-Ju Wei, Ching- Huang, Chih-Wen Wang, Tyng-Yuan Jang, Ming-Lun Yeh, Po-Yao Hsu, Ming-Yen Hsieh, Yi-Hung Lin, Chia-Yen Dai, Wan-Long Chuang, Jee-Fu Huang, Ming-Lung Yu
Summary: The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and its interaction with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in terms of liver disease severity is unclear. This study found that MAFLD patients with diabetes and metabolic dysregulation had a higher risk of advanced liver disease, especially in non-viral hepatitis subjects.
JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Cheol-Hyung Lee, Yun Bin Lee, Hyemi Moon, Jong-Won Chung, Eun Ju Cho, Jeong-Hoon Lee, Su Jong Yu, Yoon Jun Kim, Juneyoung Lee, Jung-Hwan Yoon
Summary: This study investigated the associations between aspirin use and risks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver-related mortality, and major bleeding in non-cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The results showed that aspirin use was associated with reduced risks of HCC and liver-related death, without an increase in the risk of major bleeding, in patients with CHB and a higher metabolic risk factor burden.
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yijun Yang, Justin Kurian, Giana Schena, Jaslyn Johnson, Hajime Kubo, Joshua G. Travers, Chunya Kang, Anna Maria Lucchese, Deborah M. Eaton, Maoting Lv, Na Li, Lorianna G. Leynes, Daohai Yu, Fengzhen Yang, Timothy A. McKinsey, Raj Kishore, Mohsin Khan, Sadia Mohsin, Steven R. Houser
Summary: The study suggests that metabolic syndrome in obese pregnant women may lead to pathological cardiac remodeling, increasing the risk of chronic heart disorders.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Marco Delle Monache, Alessio Petrelli, Alessandra Rossi, Roberto Cecere, Concetta Mirisola, Gianfranco Costanzo, Chiara Francia, Federica Cerini, Andrea Cavani, Lorenzo Nosotti
Summary: The study found that transient elastography (TE) was more effective than common fibrosis scores (FSs) in evaluating inactive HBV carriers. Italians had significantly lower ALT and AST levels than foreigners, but there were no differences in liver stiffness and HBV-DNA levels. Some patients showed a continuous increase in HBV-DNA levels over 24 months, warranting closer monitoring.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Zhimin Huang, Kaka Ng, Hongyan Chen, Wanping Deng, Yanbing Li
Summary: This study aimed to validate the usefulness of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) as a surrogate marker for evaluating metabolic derangement. The results showed that CAP is a convenient, sensitive, and non-invasive indicator for metabolic derangement and can predict hepatic steatosis.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Suleyman Albas, Esra Meltem Koc, Salih Atakan Nemli, Tuna Demirdal, Mustafa Soyoz, Saliha Aksun, Melih Kaan Sozmen, Candeger Avsar, Burcu Cerci Gurbuz
Summary: The study found that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent both among the control population and in chronic hepatitis patients, but there was no significant relationship between VDR gene polymorphisms and vitamin D levels.
JCPSP-JOURNAL OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS PAKISTAN
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yu-Ming Cheng, Tsung-Han Hsieh, Chia-Chi Wang, Jia-Horng Kao
Summary: The new name and diagnostic criteria of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) were proposed in 2020. The impact of chronic HBV infection on clinical outcomes of MAFLD was investigated using a Taiwan bio-bank cohort. The study revealed that chronic HBV infection increases the overall risk of liver fibrosis, but protects from atherosclerosis in patients with MAFLD.
Article
Oncology
Junlong Dai, Xinrui Zhu, Junyi Shen, Yu Zhang, Fei Xie, Yu Yu, Kangyi Jiang, Tianfu Wen, Chuan Li
Summary: This study found that the presence of metabolic syndrome in hepatitis B patients increases the risk of postoperative complications and decreases overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Eva Poveda, Andres Tabernilla, Wendy Fitzgerald, Angel Salgado-Barreira, Marta Grandal, Alexandre Perez, Ana Marino, Hortensia Alvarez, Nieves Valcarce, Juan Gonzalez-Garcia, Jose Ignacio Bernardino, Felix Gutierrez, Hisashi Fujioka, Manuel Crespo, Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos, Leonid Margolis, Michael M. Lederman, Michael L. Freeman
Summary: A massive release of platelet-derived microvesicles occurs during HIV infection, some of which contain mitochondria. However, the proportion and mitochondrial density of these microvesicles are lower in HIV infection.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
George A. Yendewa, Sulaiman Lakoh, Sahr A. Yendewa, Khadijah Bangura, Hannah Lawrence, Lucia Patino, Darlinda F. Jiba, Alren O. Vandy, Mariama J. S. Murray, Samuel P. Massaquoi, Gibrilla F. Deen, Foday Sahr, Christopher J. Hoffmann, Jeffrey M. Jacobson, Eva Poveda, Antonio Aguilera, Robert A. Salata
Summary: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of various viral infections in HIV-infected children, adolescents, and pregnant women in Sierra Leone, with a high burden of chronic HBV and other endemic infections observed. Individuals born pre-2009 and with CD4 count <350 cells/mm(3) were more likely to be HBsAg positive.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Santos-Pereira, Vera Triunfante, Pedro M. M. Araujo, Joana Martins, Helena Soares, Eva Poveda, Bernardino Souto, Nuno S. Osorio
Summary: The study in Brazil on drug resistance mutations in people living with HIV undergoing antiretroviral treatment showed a decrease in overall drug resistance mutations but an increase in the K65R reverse transcriptase mutation over the years. The switch from zidovudine to tenofovir in treatment regimens was associated with the rise of K65R mutation and higher viral loads. Notably, the K65R mutation was more prevalent in subtype C compared to subtype B. Further predictions suggest that K65R mutation may enhance viral recognition by HLA-B27 in the Brazilian population, indicating the need for careful monitoring of tenofovir-based regimens, especially in individuals with subtype C and specific HLA profiles.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Alberto Perez-Gomez, Joana Vitalle, Carmen Gasca-Capote, Alicia Gutierrez-Valencia, Maria Trujillo-Rodriguez, Ana Serna-Gallego, Esperanza Munoz-Muela, Maria de los Reyes Jimenez-Leon, Mohamed Rafii-El-Idrissi Benhnia, Inmaculada Rivas-Jeremias, Cesar Sotomayor, Cristina Roca-Oporto, Nuria Espinosa, Carmen Infante-Dominguez, Juan Carlos Crespo-Rivas, Alberto Fernandez-Villar, Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Luis Fernando Lopez-Cortes, Eva Poveda, Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 infection causes abnormal immune response, affecting the quantity and function of dendritic cells, with some markers remaining altered during acute phase and follow-up.
CELLULAR & MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Juan Berenguer, Cristina Diez, Maria Martin-Vicente, Rafael Mican, Maria J. Perez-Elias, Lucio J. Garcia-Fraile, Francisco Vidal, Ines Suarez-Garcia, Daniel Podzamczer, Jorge Del Romero, Federico Pulido, Jose A. . Iribarren, Felix Gutierrez, Eva Poveda, Carlos Galera, Rebeca Izquierdo, Victor Asensi, Joaquin Portilla, Juan C. Lopez, Jose R. Arribas, Santiago Moreno, Juan Gonzalez-Garcia, Salvador Resino, Inmaculada Jarrin
Summary: The study found a SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection rate of 8.5% among people with HIV, with 45% of infections being asymptomatic. Birth in Latin American countries increased the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity. Therapy with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) may help prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection among PWH.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Hortensia Alvarez, Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos, Pedro Miguel Juiz-Gonzalez, Joana Vitalle, Irene Vieitez, Maria Del Carmen Vazquez-Friol, Isabel Torres-Beceiro, Alberto Perez-Gomez, Pilar Gallego-Garcia, Nuria Estevez-Gomez, Loretta De Chiara, Eva Poveda, David Posada, Josep M. Llibre
Summary: This study reports a severely immunosuppressed individual with HIV-1/SARS-CoV-2 co-infection and a long-term course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite the presence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, adaptive intra-host evolution was not identified. Spike-specific T-cell response protected against severe COVID-19, while increased immunological exhaustion markers may have favored SARS-CoV-2 persistence.
Review
Microbiology
Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Ines Suarez-Garcia, Antonio Ocampo, Eva Poveda
Summary: During the past few decades, antiretroviral treatment (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been continuously advancing. Initially, three-drug regimens (3DR) were widely used, but they were associated with side effects and toxicities. To improve treatment outcomes, new two-drug regimens (2DRs) were developed and have been used as first-line treatment in certain clinical scenarios.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hortensia Alvarez, Marta Rava, Cristina Martinez, Joaquin Portilla, Joaquim Peraire, Antonio Rivero, Miguel Cervero, Ana Marino, Eva Poveda, Josep M. Llibre
Summary: The study identified that baseline HIV-1 RNA > 5 log(10) copies/mL was consistently associated with higher risk of low-level viraemia and virological failure in people living with HIV, even in those receiving integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) based antiretroviral treatment (ART).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Alejandro Araujo-Ameijeiras, Alberto Fernandez-Villar, Manuel Crespo, Eva Poveda
Summary: Survivors of COVID-19 often experience long-term symptoms, known as long COVID or persistent COVID. This study aimed to investigate the persisting symptoms 6 months after COVID-19 diagnosis in a prospective cohort in Northwest Spain. The findings showed that persisting symptoms were more common in hospitalized patients, and women and tobacco consumption were identified as risk factors for long COVID.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Edward Cachay, Antonio Ocampo, Eva Poveda
Summary: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of anogenital dysplasia and cancers. HIV and HPV coinfection is common, particularly among men who have sex with men, and the immune dysfunction caused by HIV infection increases the difficulty of HPV clearance and the risk of cancer. Universal HPV vaccination and screening programs for HPV-related diseases are effective strategies to prevent HPV-related diseases.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Marta Represa, Pep Coll, Carmen Potel, Silvia Rodriguez-Rivero, Erene Flores, Claudia Vazquez-Estevez, Antonio Ocampo, Guillermo Pousada, Eva Poveda
Summary: This study assessed the effectiveness, safety, and associated factors of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among a real-life cohort of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users in Northwest Spain. The results showed that FTC/TDF was effective, safe, and tolerable in this population, but a high number of STIs were diagnosed, especially among patients engaging in chemsex.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Raquel Carballo, Alejandro Araujo-Ameijeiras, Raquel Abad, Carmen Navarro, Antonio Ocampo, Eva Poveda, Carmen Potel
Summary: This study aimed to characterize the carriage rate and risk factors of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) among men who have sex with men (MSM) attending a sexual health unit. The results showed that the oropharyngeal carriage rate of Nm among MSM was 29%, similar in both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. Vaccination with MenACWY was associated with a low Nm carriage, suggesting routine vaccination of all MSM should be encouraged.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Eva Poveda, Wendy Fitzgerald, Cristina Reglero, Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Ana Marino, Hortensia Alvarez, Nieves Valcarce, Josep Maria Llibre, Santiago Moreno Guillen, Maria Angeles Munoz Fernandez, Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos, Leonid Margolis, Michael M. Lederman, Michael L. Freeman
Summary: Elite controllers (EC) had higher levels of plasma extracellular vesicle (EV)-associated cytokines compared to other people with HIV, and persistent controllers (PC) had higher levels than transient controllers (TC). EV-associated IL-18 could distinguish EC from ART-treated individuals, while EV-associated IL-3 and TRAIL could distinguish PC from TC. Further investigation is needed to understand the role of EV-cytokines in intercellular communication and endogenous control of HIV expression.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Hortensia Alvarez, Alicia Gutierrez-Valencia, Ana Marino, Abraham Saborido-Alconchel, Beatriz Calderon-Cruz, Alexandre Perez-Gonzalez, Jacobo Alonso-Dominguez, Ines Martinez-Barros, Maria Gallego-Rodriguez, Santiago Moreno, Teresa Aldamiz, Marta Montero-Alonso, Enrique Bernal, Carlos Galera, Josep M. Llibre, Eva Poveda, CoRIS Study Grp
Summary: This study assessed the dynamics of IP-10 and MIG levels in HIV-1 patients after initiating antiretroviral treatment (ART). The results showed a significant decline in IP-10 and MIG plasma levels following ART initiation, with greater declines in MIG levels in INSTI-based regimens. These findings suggest that HIV-1 viremia has a strong impact on IP-10 and MIG levels.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Javier Martinez-Sanz, Jorge Diaz-alvarez, Marta Rosas, Raquel Ron, Jose Antonio Iribarren, Enrique Bernal, Felix Gutierrez, Andres Ruiz Sancho, Noemi Cabello, Julian Olalla, Santiago Moreno, Sergio Serrano-Villar
Summary: The study suggests that a low CD4/CD8 ratio during HIV treatment is associated with immunosenescence. Data analysis shows that patients with a CD4/CD8 ratio less than 0.3 in the second year of ART have an increased risk of developing SNAEs in the next five years.