Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 2 de 2
Filter
Add more filters










Database
Language
Publication year range
1.
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis ; 35(2): 279-84, 2016 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26690071

ABSTRACT

Few data have been published regarding the epidemiology and outcome of infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with chronic hepatic disease (CHD). A retrospective analysis of the Studio Endocarditi Italiano (SEI) database was performed to evaluate the epidemiology and outcome of CHD+ patients compared with CHD- patients. The diagnosis of IE was defined in accordance with the modified Duke criteria. Echocardiography, diagnosis, and treatment procedures were in accordance with current clinical practice. Among the 1722 observed episodes of IE, 300 (17.4 %) occurred in CHD+ patients. The cause of CHD mainly consisted of chronic viral infection. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterial species in CHD+ patients; the frequency of other bacterial species (S. epidermidis, streptococci, and enterococci) were comparable among the two groups. The percentage of patients undergoing surgery for IE was 38.9 in CHD+ patients versus 43.7 in CHD- patients (p = 0.06). Complications were more common among CHD+ patients (77 % versus 65.3 %, p < 0.001); embolization (43.3 % versus 26.1 %, p < 0.001) and congestive heart failure (42 % versus 34.1 %, p = 0.01) were more frequent among CHD+ patients. Mortality was comparable (12.5 % in CHD- and 15 % in CHD+ patients). At multivariable analysis, factors associated with hospital-associated mortality were having an infection sustained by S. aureus, a prosthetic valve, diabetes and a neoplasia, and CHD. Being an intravenous drug user (IVDU) was a protective factor and was associated with a reduced death risk. CHD is a factor worsening the prognosis in patients with IE, in particular in patients for whom cardiac surgery was required.


Subject(s)
Endocarditis, Bacterial/epidemiology , Endocarditis, Bacterial/microbiology , Liver Diseases/epidemiology , Liver Diseases/microbiology , Adult , Aged , Endocarditis, Bacterial/drug therapy , Endocarditis, Bacterial/mortality , Female , Hospital Mortality , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Liver Diseases/virology , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Prosthesis-Related Infections/microbiology , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification , Staphylococcus epidermidis/isolation & purification
2.
J Viral Hepat ; 22(4): 391-8, 2015 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25258145

ABSTRACT

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by persistent B-cell activation, with enhanced differentiation and reduced proliferative ability. To assess the possible role of HCV in altering B-cell subset distribution, we examined ex vivo frequencies and B-cell inhibitory receptor expression in 37 chronic HCV-infected patients and 25 healthy donors (HD). In addition, we determined whether short-term exposure to culture-derived HCV (HCVcc) resulted in B-cell subset skewing and/or activation. There was a statistically significant increase in the frequencies of immature transitional, activated memory and tissue-like memory (TLM) B cells in HCV-infected patients compared with HD. We also found that the frequency of memory B cells correlated with serum HCV RNA levels. The proportion of B cells expressing the marker of exhaustion Fc receptor-like 4 (FcRL4) was generally low even though significantly higher in the patients' memory B-cell compartment compared with HD, and a positive correlation was found between the frequencies of the patients' TLM FcRL4+ B cells and serum alanine aminotransferase and histological activity index at liver biopsy. Exposure to cell-free HCVcc in vitro did not result in B-cell skewing but induced significant activation of naïve, TLM and resting memory B cells in HCV-infected patients but not in HD, in whom cell-associated virus was an absolute requirement for activation of memory B cells. These findings provide corroborative evidence in favour of significant B-cell subset skewing in chronic HCV infection and in addition show that expression of exhaustion markers in selected B-cell subsets does not impair virus-induced B-cell activation.


Subject(s)
B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Hepatitis C, Chronic/immunology , Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alanine Transaminase/blood , B-Lymphocytes/chemistry , Hepatitis C, Chronic/pathology , Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology , Humans , Immunologic Memory , Immunophenotyping , Liver/pathology , Lymphocyte Subsets/chemistry , Male , Middle Aged , RNA, Viral/blood , Receptors, Fc/analysis , Viral Load
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL
...