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The author discusses the implications of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in developing extrahepatic diseases on patients with HIV infection. The author mentions a variety of extrahepatic diseases associated with HCV infections which includes atherosclerosis, renal diseases, and thyroid diseases. The author also mentions the impact of successful antiviral therapy in treating chronic HCV infections.

Background Open-source clinical natural-language-processing (NLP) systems have lowered the barrier to the development of effective clinical document classification systems. Clinical natural-language-processing systems annotate the syntax and semantics of clinical text; however, feature extraction and representation for document classification pose technical challenges. Methods The authors developed extensions to the clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System (cTAKES) that simplify feature extraction, experimentation with various feature representations, and the development of both rule and machine-learning based document classifiers. The authors describe and evaluate their system, the Yale cTAKES Extensions (YTEX), on the classification of radiology reports that contain findings suggestive of hepatic decompensation. Results and discussion The F1-Score of the system for the retrieval of abdominal radiology reports was 96%, and was 79%, 91%, and 95% for the presence of liver masses, ascites, and varices, respectively. The authors released YTEX as open source, available at http://code. google.com/p/ytex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV-monoinfected patients may be at risk for significant liver fibrosis, but its prevalence and determinants in these patients are unknown. Since HIV-monoinfected patients do not routinely undergo liver biopsy, we evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of significant hepatic fibrosis in this group using the aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among HIV-infected patients negative for hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C antibody in the Penn Center for AIDS Research Adult/Adolescent Database. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from the database at enrollment. Hypothesized determinants of significant fibrosis were modifiable risk factors associated with liver disease progression, hepatic fibrosis, or hepatotoxicity, including immune dysfunction (i.e., CD4 T lymphocyte count <200 cells/mm3, HIV viremia), diseases associated with hepatic steatosis (e.g., obesity, diabetes mellitus), and use of antiretroviral therapy. The primary outcome was an APRI score >1.5, which suggests significant hepatic fibrosis. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent risk factors for significant fibrosis by APRI. Results: Among 432 HIV-monoinfected patients enrolled in the CFAR Database between November 1999 and May 2008, significant fibrosis by APRI was identified in 36 (8.3%; 95% CI, 5.9 - 11.4%) patients. After controlling for all other hypothesized risk factors as well as active alcohol use and site, detectable HIV viremia (adjusted OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.02 - 8.87) and diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.12 - 10.10) remained associated with significant fibrosis by APRI. Conclusions: Significant fibrosis by APRI score was found in 8% of HIV-monoinfected patients. Detectable HIV viremia and diabetes mellitus were associated with significant fibrosis. Future studies should explore mechanisms for fibrosis in HIV-monoinfected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Suboptimal drug exposure attributable to physician-directed dosage reductions of pegylated interferon and/or ribavirin are associated with decreased sustained virologic response rates. However, data are limited with regard to suboptimal drug exposure that is attributable to missed doses by patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We examined the relationship between adherence to pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy, measured by pharmacy refill, and HCV suppression during the initial 12 weeks of therapy. Methods. We conducted a cohort study involving 188 patients with chronic HCV infection who were treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. Adherence was calculated using pharmacy refill data and could exceed 100%. The primary outcome was decrease in HCV load at 12 weeks; early virologic response was a secondary outcome. Mixed-effects regression models estimated the association between adherence and HCV suppression during the initial 12 weeks. Subanalyses were performed among patients who received optimal weight-based dosages. Results. The mean decrease in HCV load at 12 weeks was 0.66 log IU/mL greater for patients with ⩾85% adherence than for those with <85% adherence (3.23 vs. 2.57 log IU/mL; P=04). When patients who received a suboptimal ribavirin dosage were excluded, the decrease in viral load was 1.00 log IU/mL greater for persons with ⩾85% adherence (3.32 vs. 2.32 log IU/mL; P=01). Early virologic response was more common among patients with ⩾85% adherence than it was among those with ⩾85% adherence to treatment with pegylated interferon (73% vs. 29%; P=02) and ribavirin (73% vs. 55%; P=08). Conclusions. Adherence of ⩾85% to pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment was associated with increased HCV suppression. Decreases in HCV load became greater when patients with ⩾85% adherence to their regimen continued to receive their recommended weight-based ribavirin dosage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. High levels of antiretroviral therapy adherence are important for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) suppression, yet the magnitude of adherence required to maintain it is less well characterized. Furthermore, methods to accommodate changes in adherence over time are lacking. In the present study, our objective was to determine the magnitude of antiretroviral therapy adherence needed to maintain HIV-1 suppression by use of a time-updated adherence measure that has the potential to be of use in a clinical setting. Methods. We examined a population-based cohort of HIV-1-infected subjects ⩾18 years of age, residing in British Columbia, Canada, who started receiving antiretroviral therapy between 1 August 1996 and 30 September 2003, who had at least 2 consecutive viral loads <500 copies/mL and who had prescriptions filled at least 3 times during a follow-up period ending 30 September 2004. Virological failure was defined as the second of 2 consecutive viral loads <1000 copies/mL. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the relationship between virological failure and refill-based, time-updated surrogate measure of adherence. Results. Among the 1634 participants <18 years of age who initiated triple combination therapy during the study, 606 virological failure events were identified. In multivariate analyses, subjects with ⩽95% adherence were 1.66 (95% confidence interval, 1.38-2.01) times more likely to experience virological failure than those with >95% adherence. Conclusions. The highest levels of antiretroviral therapy adherence are associated with higher rates of maintained virological suppression. This simple, dynamic surrogate measure of adherence overcomes the limitation of single-point-in-time calculations of adherence and may be useful in real time to determine whether an individual is exhibiting incomplete adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasensitive assays for HIV RNA have identified a significant number of patients with persistent low-level viremia despite antiretroviral therapy. The clinical implications of maintaining antiretroviral therapy during low-level HIV viremia remain unclear. The primary objective of this study was to determine the rate and risk factors for virological increase in subjects with low-level HIV viremia who did not change antiretroviral therapy. Between July 1998 and February 2002, we retrospectively observed 79 HIV-infected adults with low-level HIV viremia (between 50 and 500 copies per milliliter) who had been on a stable antiretroviral regimen for at least 3 months and continued that regimen for at least 3 more months. Virologic increase, defined as HIV RNA levels greater than 1000 copies per milliliter, was observed in 29 of the 79 (37%) subjects. The CD4 cell counts decreased by a median of 1.8 cells/mm3 per month (interquartile range [IQR], –19.6 to 2.3 cells/mm3) in this group but increased by a median of 0.5 cells/mm3 per month (IQR, –6.3 to 5.8 cells/mm3) in the 50 subjects who did not experience virologic increase. A Kaplan-Meier estimate showed that at 3 years of follow-up, approximately 40% of the observed cohort had not experienced virologic increase. There was a higher rate of virologic increase per log increase in HIV viral load at entry into the cohort (adjusted hazards ratio [HR] 3.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 12.6). Subjects of white race were also more likely to experience virological increase (adjusted HR 2.6; CI, 1.2 to 5.8). Maintenance of antiretroviral therapy despite low-level HIV viremia provided sustained immunological benefit over a 2-year period in approximately two thirds of our cohort. Higher initial HIV RNA levels and white race were predictors for virologic increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eosinophilic meningitis is a rare clinical entity that can be useful in narrowing the differential diagnosis of central nervous system disease. It is defined by the presence of 10 or more eosinophils/μL in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or a CSF eosinophilia of at least 10%. The most common cause is invasion of the central nervous system by helminthic parasites, particularly Angiostrongylus cantonensis, but other infections as well as noninfectious conditions may also be associated. This review describes the etiologies of eosinophilic meningitis, focusing primarily on the helminths that cause CSF eosinophilia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An introduction to the article "The Cost-effectiveness of Screening for Chronic Hepatitis B Infection in the United States," by Mark H. Eckman, Tiffany E. Kaiser and Kenneth E. Sherman is presented.

The article focuses on identifying potential predictors of severe hepatic fibrosis in patients coinfected with both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The determination of risk factors for severe fibrosis, such as those in this study, can help direct HCV therapy to those at highest risk for progressive liver disease. However, recent data from HCV-monoinfected patients have suggested that additional, potentially modifiable factors may play a relevant role in fibrosis progression. The association between these potential risk factors and severe hepatic fibrosis should have been evaluated, because they may have important prognostic and therapeutic implications in the treatment of HIV-HCV-coinfected patients.

Presents a case report of a traveler with eosinophilic meningitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis. Information on angiostrongylus cantonensis; Clinical manifestation of eosinophilic meningitis; Signs and symptoms of the disease.

Purpose: Pharmacoepidemiologic studies using electronic health record data could serve an important role in assessing safety and effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but the validity of these data needs to be determined. We evaluated the accuracy of pharmacy fill records in the national Veterans Health Administration (VA) Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) as compared to facility-level electronic health record.Methods: Patients prescribed a direct-acting antiviral regimen at five VA sites between 2014 and 2016 were randomly selected and reviewed. A random sample of patients with chronic HCV infection without evidence of HCV treatment during the study period also underwent chart review. We calculated positive predictive value and negative predictive value overall and by site.Results: Of the 501 patients who received a total of 2416 prescriptions, 494 were validated using data extracted from CDW 6 months after the study period, yielding a positive predictive value of 98.6% (95% confidence interval, 97.6%-99.6%). Of the 100 patients with chronic HCV infection without prescriptions for HCV treatment, 99 were confirmed not to have received antiviral treatment (negative predictive value, 99.0%; 95% confidence interval, 97.1%-100%).Conclusions: These findings provide assurance to researchers who use national VA CDW data for retrospective cohort studies that the CDW contains accurate information on HCV therapies in the modern treatment era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]