| endemic hepatitis c virus infection in a sicilian town: further evidence for iatrogenic transmission. | the prevalence of and risk factors for hcv and hbv infections in the general population and the predictive value of alt screening in identifying anti-hcv positive subjects have been evaluated in a small sicilian town. a random 1:4 sampling from the census of the general population was performed. anti-hcv, hcv-rna, hcv genotype, hbsag, and anti-hbc were tested. the linkage between hcv infection and potential risk factors was evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis. among 721 subjects s ... | 2002 | 12116024 |
| [prevalence and significance of type-2 diabetes mellitus in chronic liver disease, correlated with hepatitis c virus]. | a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with hepatitis c virus (hcv)-related chronic liver diseases has been reported in numerous studies. other studies failed to confirm this observation. we have studied the relative prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in two groups of patients respectively presenting with hcv-related chronic liver disease (224 patients) and chronic liver diseases of other etiologies (30 hepatitis b virus-hbv-related chronic liver disease, 22 alcoholic live ... | 2003 | 12739426 |
| hepatitis b and hepatitis c virus infections in dermatological patients in west sicily: a seroepidemiological study. | to evaluate the relative frequencies and molecular epidemiological features of viral hepatitis types b and c in dermatological patients in our geographical area. | 2002 | 11952289 |
| [the distribution of hepatitis c virus (hcv) genotypes in the drug-dependent population in palermo]. | | 1999 | 10596446 |
| distribution of hepatitis c virus genotypes among intravenous drug users. a ten-year study in palermo, sicily. | a cross-sectional study was carried out on the sera of 88 active intravenous drug users (ivdu) collected between 1985 and 1986 to evaluate the circulation of hcv genotypes in western sicily. the patients were grouped by age and classified by their hiv status. genotype 3a (48.8% of all cases) was most frequently detected, followed by genotype 1a (20.4%) and type 1b (17.0%). no significant differences in hcv genotype distribution were observed between hiv positive and negative individuals. next, t ... | 1998 | 9812314 |
| transmission of hepatitis c virus: a study of the main risk factors in a sicilian population of volunteer blood donors. | the hepatitis c virus (hcv) is quite widespread in sicily, and in the absence of a vaccine, prophylaxis is important. in order to determine the most effective means of prophylaxis, we must first understand the main vectors of transmission. | 1998 | 9496505 |
| seroepidemiologic study of hcv genotypes in the district of messina and catania. | aim of the study was to identify the different hepatitis c virus (hcv) genotypes in chronic hepatitis patients living in the districts of messina and catania (sicily, italy), for epidemiological reasons but also to determine the effect of interferon therapy on therapeutic response of different viral genotypes. genotyping was carried out by reverse-hybridization after amplification by polymerase chain reaction. the study was conducted on 271 patients with hcv-rna positive chronic liver disease be ... | 1997 | 9444799 |
| hcv viraemia is more important than genotype as a predictor of response to interferon in sicily (southern italy). | to investigate host- and virus-related factors predictive of early and sustained alanine aminotransferase normalization after interferon therapy for hcv-related chronic liver disease, in an area where genotype 1 is highly prevalent. | 1996 | 8938531 |
| [the prevalence of serum anti-hepatitis c virus antibodies in hemodialyzed patients]. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) is responsible for a high percentage of cases of transfusional hepatitis and is often considered the etiological agent of numerous cases of non-a, non-b hepatitis in which parenteral transmission has not been documented. patients undergoing hemodialysis are at risk for hcv infection. we used an immunoenzymatic method and confirmatory test (neutralization test) to determine serum anti-hcv antibody positivity in order to identify the factors associated with increased risk o ... | 1991 | 1666516 |
| hcv and hbv infection among multitransfused thalassemics from eastern sicily. | serum specimens from 152 sicilian multitransfused thalassemic subjects were tested for antibodies to hepatitis c virus (anti- hcv) and for hbv markers by enzyme linked immunoassay and with reference to anti-hcv, confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay. a high rate (47%) of subjects was anti-hcv positive. hbsag was found in 8% of patients and 55% had anti-hbs or anti-hbc antibodies or both. contrary to hbv infection, anti-hcv seropositivity was related to the number of transfused units. the hig ... | 1992 | 1374737 |
| hepatitis c virus infection as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis. a case-control study. | to determine whether chronic hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection is an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma and whether it increases the cirrhosis-related risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. | 1992 | 1309286 |
| Serological Pattern of Hepatitis B, C, and HIV Infections Among Immigrants in Sicily: Epidemiological Aspects and Implication on Public Health. | The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in a cohort of immigrants living in Palermo, Sicily. The study was carried out in the period May 2006-June 2010 and recruited a total of 393 patients (59.8% males-median age of 32.6 years). All patients were tested for serological markers of HBV, HCV, and HIV infection. One-hundred thirty-eight (35.1%) individuals did not show any HBV/H ... | 2011 | 21922163 |
| incidence of hepatitis c virus infection in patients with chronic kidney disease on conservative therapy. | hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection is a never-ending public health problem. many studies have investigated the incidence of hcv infection among dialysis patients, but there have only been a few epidemiological studies in renal conservative therapy. we studied 320 subjects with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease living in sicily, italy. the incidence of hcv infection was 6.25%. in europe, incidence ranges from 0.2% to 3.5%. it appears that the incidence of hcv infection is higher in the studied p ... | 2011 | 21680217 |
| knowledge, attitudes and risk of hiv, hbv and hcv infections in hairdressers of palermo city (south italy). | the hairdressing trade may potentially expose its practitioners and their customers to blood-borne infections. | 2010 | 19892853 |
| hepatitis status and mortality in hemodialysis population. | the role of hepatitis b (hbv) and c (hcv) virus infection in mortality among mhd patients is poorly understood. recent studies have shown that hcv positivity is associated with significantly higher cardiovascular mortality, especially in dialysis patients younger than 65 years. however, little information is available in european renal registries about mortality among hbv and hcv positive mhd patients. we prospectively followed all patients (prevalents and incidents) attending the dialysis cente ... | 2009 | 19142803 |
| epidemiology of hepatitis c virus infection in hemodialysis patients of sicily. | | 2008 | 18825649 |
| phylogenetic reconstruction of hcv genotype 1b dissemination in a small city centre: the camporeale model. | several seroepidemiological population-based surveys carried out in italy have shown a high prevalence of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection. camporeale (cp), a small sicilian town with a 10.4% prevalence of hcv mostly genotype 1b, probably represents a specific context, since intravenous drug addiction, and sexual promiscuity are almost absent. in order to reconstruct the pattern of introduction and diffusion of hcv in this ecological niche, the ns5 genomic region of 72 hcv genotype 1 isolates ( ... | 2008 | 18712845 |
| celiac disease and non-organ-specific autoantibodies in patients with chronic hepatitis c virus infection. | considering that celiac disease (cd) is an autoimmune-based entity and the hepatitis c virus is suspected of being able to trigging autoimmune reactions, it has been hypothesized that hepatitis c virus infection might predispose to cd. the aim of this study was to investigate cd-related antibodies in a large series of hepatitis c virus-infected subjects that were also tested for non-organ-specific autoantibodies (nosa) as indirect marker of autoimmune disorders. | 2008 | 18231858 |
| [the influence of professional degree on the knowledge of hiv, hbv and hcv infections in dentistry practice]. | the knowledge and preventive practices toward the risk of infection with hiv, hbv and hcv were evaluated in a sample of 254 dentists and odontostomatologies in palermo, by answering to an anonymous questionnaire sent by mail. overall, most of the participants showed a good knowledge of the transmission pattern of blood-borne viruses as well as good practice for personal hygiene (washing of hands, routine use of gloves, etc.). however 80.8% answered to recap needles after use and more than 40% ha ... | 2005 | 16041921 |
| [infectious diseases and sexual transmitted diseases in two different cohort of extra communitarian people in palermo (sicily, italy) from 2000 to 2004]. | the authors have studied the prevalence of infectious and sexually transmitted diseases (std) in a cohort of 109 nigerian prostitutes and 37 extra communitarian drug addicts, with the aim to quantify the circulation of infectious and diffusive diseases in these groups of people. results: hiv infection was diagnosed in 2 prostitutes (1.8%) and in 4 drug addicts (10.8%). in the female population it has not been evidence of std, neither tuberculosis neither active infection from hepatitis virus b a ... | 2005 | 15932032 |
| hcv infection and oral lichen planus: a weak association when hcv is endemic. | oral lichen planus (olp), an immune-mediated disorder, has been reported as an extra-hepatic manifestation of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection, especially in hcv hyperendemic areas such as southern europe and japan. the aim of this study was to investigate from an epidemiological standpoint whether hcv infection is an important factor affecting the relative risk of olp in a mediterranean population or whether this relates to the degree of hcv endemicity. two cohorts of olp patients resident in ... | 2004 | 15357654 |
| [prevalence of hcv in health care workers in southern italy]. | to assess the prevalence of hepatitis c virus (hcv) in the population exposed to biological risk of two hospitals in southern italy. | 2003 | 12910804 |
| [clinical and etiologic features of hepatocarcinoma in sicily]. | hepatocellular carcinoma is a neoplasia with a high degree of malignancy and a quite unfavorable prognosis, and its frequency has tripled over the last 30 years. the aim of this study was to shed further light on some epidemiological and clinical aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma, on the basis of experience with a wide ranging patient population. we included 179 patients (127 males, 52 females, age range 31-86 years), diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma between january 1993 and december 19 ... | 1999 | 10638015 |
| occult hepatitis b infection in the immigrant population of sicily, italy. | in italy, about 7 % of the resident population is represented by immigrants originating from geographic regions at high endemicity for hepatitis b virus infection. this study aims to assess the prevalence of occult hbv infection (obi) including the identification of hbv-genotypes in a population of immigrants serologically negative for hepatitis b surface antigen (hbsag). between may 2006 and may 2010, 339 immigrants were tested for markers of hbv, hepatitis c virus (hcv) and human immunodeficie ... | 2013 | 22875279 |