Articole semnate de acelasi autor in Revista Romana de Boli Infectioase:

THE ROLE OF HOST LIPIDS IN THE PATHOGENY OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

Romanian Journal of Infectious Diseases | Vol. XVII, No. 1, Year 2014

ISSN 1454-3389 | e-ISSN 2069-6051
ISSN-L 1454-3389
DOI: 10.37897/RJID

National Awards “Science and Research”

NEW! RJID has announced the annually National Award for "Science and Research" for the best scientific articles published throughout the year in the official journal.

ICMJE- Recommendations

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Promoting Global Health

The published medical research literature is a global public good. Medical journal editors have a social responsibility to promote global health by publishing, whenever possible, research that furthers health worldwide.

Mihaela Andreea Radulescu, Irina Duport and Victoria Arama

ABSTRACT

Despite the innovations in the past years in the field of chronic hepatitis C treatment, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains an important global burden with elevated healthcare costs and high morbidity and mortality due to its complications – liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The interrelation between HCV and host’s lipid metabolism is widely accepted, as it has been proved in many clinical and research studies. HCV infection is associated with different types of metabolic disorders such as liver steatosis and insulin-resistance. On the other side these metabolic disturbances induce an accelerated progression of liver disease. HCV interacts with host lipids in every step of viral life cycle: viral transport in the blood stream, cell entry, replication, assembly and transport to the extra-cellular space. This review focuses on the complex link between HCV and host lipids, emphasizing the clinical implications of these interactions. Although the pathogenic mechanisms of HCV infection are incompletely understood, recent literature data elucidates some important aspects which opened a road to innovating therapeutic approaches such as host targeting agents, with a pan-genotypic antiviral effect and high genetic barrier. Targeting parts of the pathogenic pathways of HCV infection represents a new kind of therapeutic approach, hopefully with higher treatment success rates and lowering morbidity and mortality related to this infection.

Keywords: chronic hepatitis C, lipid metabolism, pathogenesis

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THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN A COHORT OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C PATIENTS

Romanian Journal of Infectious Diseases | Volumul XVII, No. 4, Year 2014

ISSN 1454-3389 | e-ISSN 2069-6051
ISSN-L 1454-3389
DOI: 10.37897/RJID

National Awards “Science and Research”

NEW! RJID has announced the annually National Award for "Science and Research" for the best scientific articles published throughout the year in the official journal.

ICMJE- Recommendations

Read the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly work in Medical Journals.

Promoting Global Health

Mihaela Andreea Radulescu, Daniela Ioana Munteanu, Victoria Arama, Irina Duport, Cristina Popescu, Raluca Ioana Mihailescu, Catalin Tiliscan and Adrian Streinu-Cercel

ABSTRACT

Background. The idea of a relationship between HCV infection and host lipid and glucid homeostasis is widely accepted, with an impact on liver disease progression. However, the association between HCV infection and cardiovascular (CV) risk is controversial.

Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular risk according to Framingham score in a cohort of HCV infected patients.

Methods. We conducted a cross sectional analysis on a cohort of 117 HCV infected patients compared to 30 controls. We recorded demographical data, HCV infection history, behavioral CV risk factors, personal and family history of CV events. We obtained fasting serum samples for lipid profile, glucid parameters, liver aminotransferases. Liver histology was assesed with Fibromax tests. CV risc was assesed with Framingham risk score. This is an interim analysis.

Results. Framingham risc score was similar in the two groups. Regarding behavioral CV risk factors, in HCV group significantly more patients declared low fat diet and higher fresh fruits and vegetables intake. Conversely, the HCV group reported lower physical activity levels. In bivariate analysis Framingham score was correlated to liver fibrosis, activity, steatosis and steatohepatitis scores (Spearman Coefficients 0.510, 0.365, 0.466 0.433, p<0.001 for all comparisons). However in logistic regression this associations were not statistically significant.

Conclusion. CV risk assesed by Framingham score was similar in HCV infected and uninfected patients, although it is possible that Framingham score underestimates CV risk in HCV infected patients.

Keywords: cardiovascular risk, Framingham risk score, chronic hepatitis, HCV

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