Timing and Outcomes of Noninvasive Ventilation in 307 ARDS COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study in an Italian Third Level COVID-19 Hospital.

Background and Objectives: Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel cause of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is widely used in patients with ARDS across several etiologies. Indeed, with the increase of ARDS cases due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its use has grown significantly in hospital wards. However, there is a lack of evidence to support the efficacy of NIV in patients with COVID-19 ARDS. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational cohort study including adult ARDS COVID-19 patients admitted in a third level COVID-center in Rome, Italy. The study analyzed the rate of NIV failure defined by the occurrence of orotracheal intubation and/or death within 28 days from starting NIV, its effectiveness, and the associated relative risk of death. The factors associated with the outcomes were identified through logistic regression analysis. Results: During the study period, a total of 942 COVID-19 patients were admitted to our hospital, of which 307 (32.5%) presented with ARDS at hospitalization. During hospitalization 224 (23.8%) were treated with NIV. NIV failure occurred in 84 (37.5%) patients. At 28 days from starting NIV, moderate and severe ARDS had five-fold and twenty-fold independent increased risk of NIV failure (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 5.01, 95% CI 2.08−12.09, and 19.95, 95% CI 5.31−74.94), respectively, compared to patients with mild ARDS. A total of 128 patients (13.5%) were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). At 28-day from ICU admission, intubated COVID-19 patients treated with early NIV had 40% lower mortality (aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.25−1.46, p = 0.010) compared with patients that underwent orotracheal intubation without prior NIV. Conclusions: These findings show that NIV failure was independently correlated with the severity category of COVID-19 ARDS. The start of NIV in COVID-19 patients with mild ARDS (P/F > 200 mmHg) appears to increase NIV effectiveness and reduce the risk of orotracheal intubation and/or death. Moreover, early NIV (P/F > 200 mmHg) treatment seems to reduce the risk of ICU mortality at 28 days from ICU admission.

HCV infected prisoners: should they be still considered a difficult to treat population?

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the Italian correctional population is estimated to be around 38%. In this setting HCV infection treatment is controversial because of several factors such as active drug substance abuse, psychiatric illness, length of treatment, risk of re-infection, poor adherence and low success rate. METHODS: A retrospective data review of 159 inmates, positive for anti-Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, evaluated to National Institute for Infectious Diseases "L. Spallanzani" (INMI) from January 2006 to December 2009, was conducted to evaluate rate of completion (feasibility) and outcome efficacy of chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection treatment with Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin in five correctional facilities in Rome. RESULTS: Of the 159 inmates evaluated in the study period, 50, all male (median age 39 years) were treated. Twenty patients (40%) did not complete treatment: 15 showed no response and therapy was stopped, 5 patients (10%) interrupted treatment because of adverse reactions. The global feasibility was 60%. The overall sustained virologic response (SVR) was 50% (32% for genotype 1 and 68% for genotype other than 1). The main predictors of SVR at the Multivariable Logistic Regression Odds Ratio (MLR-OR) were a better pretreatment histological diagnosis (absence of bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis [MLR-OR 11.85; 95% CI 1.96-71.62) and a HCV genotype other than 1 (MLR-OR 5.87; 95% CI 1.49-23.17). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic HCV infection treatment in correctional facilities is feasible and effective and should be strongly recommended, in combination with preventive measures, in appropriately screened patients because it represents an important opportunity to treat a population with a high prevalence of chronic HCV infection among whom treatment options post incarceration may be limited.

Increased Association of Pulmonary Thromboembolism and Tuberculosis during COVID-19 Pandemic: Data from an Italian Infectious Disease Referral Hospital.

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) has been associated with tuberculosis (TB), but the true incidence is unknown. The aim of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the PTE prevalence in TB patients hospitalized at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani during the January 2016-December 2021 period. Retrospective data collection and evaluation were conducted. Among 1801 TB patients, 29 (1.61%) exhibited PTE. Twenty (69%) had comorbidities; eleven (37.9%) had predisposing factors for PTE. Nineteen (65.5%) had extensive TB disease. The commonest respiratory symptoms were cough (37.9%), dyspnea (31%), chest pain (10.3%), and hemoptysis (6.9%). Twenty-five (86.2%) had elevated serum D-dimer levels. An increased prevalence of PTE from 0.6% in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period to 4.6% in the pandemic period was found. Acute respiratory failure and extensive TB disease increased significantly in the pandemic period. The increase in PTE could be explained by the increased severity of TB in patients in the pandemic period and by increased clinical suspicion and, consequently, increased requests for D-dimer testing, including in patients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients with extensive pulmonary disease are at high risk of developing PTE. Clinicians should be aware of this potentially life-threatening complication of TB, and patients should receive a thromboembolism risk assessment.

Benefits of Steroid Therapy in COVID-19 Patients with Different PaO2/FiO2 Ratio at Admission.

INTRODUCTION: The use of steroid therapy in patients within the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection is still a matter of debate. This study aimed to evaluate if potential steroid benefits could be predicted by the ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2 in mmHg) to fractional inspired oxygen (FiO2) (P/F) in COVID-19 patients at admission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively collected from all adult patients admitted because of COVID-19 from 29 January to 31 July 2020. The association of steroid therapy with 28-day all-cause mortality outcome was analysed in a multivariable logistic regression model adjusted for confounding factors. RESULTS: Overall, 511 patients were analysed, of which 39.1% underwent steroid therapy. Steroid treated patients were mostly male, older, and more frequently treated with antiviral drugs and aminoquinolines; the most common comorbidities were hypertension, followed by cardiovascular disease. Overall, 51 patients died within 28-days, and overall 28-days mortality was 19.5% in the cohort of patients exposed to steroids versus 3.9% mortality in unexposed patients (p < 0.001). Steroid therapy on patients with P/F ratio of 235 mmHg or higher at admission can be considered as detrimental, with an 8% increased probability of death. CONCLUSIONS: Steroid therapy is associated with increased 28-day mortality in COVID-19 in patients with mild or no ARDS.

Increase in Tuberculosis Diagnostic Delay during First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Data from an Italian Infectious Disease Referral Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The WHO advised that the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on TB services was estimated to be dramatic due to the disruption of TB services. METHODS: A retrospective data collection and evaluation was conducted to include all the patients hospitalized for TB at INMI from 9 March to 31 August 2020 (lockdown period and three months thereafter). For the purpose of the study, data from patients hospitalized in the same period of 2019 were also collected. RESULTS: In the period of March-August 2019, 201 patients were hospitalized with a diagnosis of TB, while in the same period of 2020, only 115 patients, with a case reduction of 43%. Patients with weight loss, acute respiratory failure, concurrent extrapulmonary TB, and higher Timika radiographic scores were significantly more frequently hospitalized during 2020 vs. 2019. The median patient delay was 75 days (IQR: 40-100) in 2020 compared to 30 days (IQR: 10-60) in 2019 (p < 0.01). Diagnostic delays in 2020 remain significant in the multiple logistic model (AOR = 6.93, 95%CI: 3.9-12.3). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience suggests that COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on TB patient care in terms of higher diagnostic delay, reduction in hospitalization, and a greater severity of clinical presentations.

Prophylactic heparin and risk of orotracheal intubation or death in patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 pneumonia.

Prophylactic low molecular weight heparin (pLMWH) is currently recommended in COVID-19 to reduce the risk of coagulopathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the antinflammatory effects of pLMWH could translate in lower rate of clinical progression in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients admitted to a COVID-hospital in Rome with SARS-CoV-2 infection and mild/moderate pneumonia were retrospectively evaluated. The primary endpoint was the time from hospital admission to orotracheal intubation/death (OTI/death). A total of 449 patients were included: 39% female, median age 63 (IQR, 50-77) years. The estimated probability of OTI/death for patients receiving pLMWH was: 9.5% (95% CI 3.2-26.4) by day 20 in those not receiving pLMWH vs. 10.4% (6.7-15.9) in those exposed to pLMWH; p-value = 0.144. This risk associated with the use of pLMWH appeared to vary by PaO2/FiO2 ratio: aHR 1.40 (95% CI 0.51-3.79) for patients with an admission PaO2/FiO2 ≤ 300 mmHg and 0.27 (0.03-2.18) for those with PaO2/FiO2 > 300 mmHg; p-value at interaction test 0.16. pLMWH does not seem to reduce the risk of OTI/death mild/moderate COVID-19 pneumonia, especially when respiratory function had already significantly deteriorated. Data from clinical trials comparing the effect of prophylactic vs. therapeutic dosage of LMWH at various stages of COVID-19 disease are needed.

Effect of HIV co-infection on mutation patterns of HBV in patients with lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B.

A retrospective review was performed comparing lamivudine-resistance mutation patterns between patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. Medical records that included a genotypic test of patients infected with HBV and treated with lamivudine as the only anti-HBV drug were reviewed. Pol gene mutations were assessed by direct sequencing of the reverse transcriptase fragment 125-213 aa. Eighty-nine patients infected with HBV (29 co-infected with HIV) with rtM204V or rtM204I mutations were included. Multiple mutations associated with the YMDD motif were observed in 33 (55%) of 60 patients infected with HBV only and in 28 (96.6%) of patients co-infected with HIV/HBV. In this latter group, the prevalence of the rtV173L + rtL180M + rtM204V triple mutation was 31% versus a prevalence of 3.4% observed among patients infected with HBV only. All patients with the triple mutational pattern showed sE164D + sI195M changes in the envelope gene. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that HIV co-infection (adjusted OR 11.2, 95% CI 2.0-61.0) and HBV genotype A (adjusted OR 7.2, 95% CI 1.5-34.8) were the only independent variables associated with the chance of harboring rtM204V. Patients with HBV genotype A or HIV co-infection were more likely to harbor the rtM204V mutation. Patients co-infected with HIV showed multiple mutations more frequently, including the triple mutation that may elicit a vaccine escape phenotype. Among patients co-infected with HIV/HBV, strict HBV DNA monitoring is essential to detect treatment failure and adapt therapy to avoid limitations of future therapeutic options or the emergence of a public health threat.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Acute Hepatitis B: New Insights in Its Natural History and Implications for Antiviral Treatment.

Acute hepatitis B infection (AHB) is still a common viral acute hepatitis worldwide. As vaccination, antiviral treatment, and immigration are bound to affect the epidemiological landscape of HBV infections, and some of its aspects need to be investigated: (1) the circulation of vaccine escape mutants and of primary drug resistant strains; (2) the change in HBV genotype prevalence; and (3) the clinical implications of AHB and the probability of chronification. The serological, virological, and clinical parameters of 75 patients, acutely infected by HBV, were gathered for a retrospective study. Long-term follow up, either to complete seroconversion or for up to five years, was possible for 44 patients. Sequence analysis of the reverse transcriptase/HBsAg and precore regions was performed to investigate the molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of recent infections by HBV. Genotype distribution in AHB in Italian patients was radically different from that of chronic infections, with a dramatic increase of extra-European genotypes (A1, F), suggesting that a proportion of AHBs are currently related to imported strains. None of the documented infections occurred in vaccinated individuals, while HBsAg variants (potentially vaccine escape variants) were rare and less prevalent than in chronic infections. No drug resistant strains were observed. Spontaneous viral clearance occurred in all but three cases. Time to viral clearance was inversely proportional to liver damage, but HBsAg titer on day 28 and, better still, HBsAg decay from day 0 to day 28 after admission, were the best predictors of chronification. They are, thus, potentially useful to guide antiviral treatment to prevent chronic evolution.

Acute rifampicin-associated interstitial tubulopathy in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Rifampicin is one of the most effective antibiotics for treating tuberculosis, but it has been associated with adverse reactions, such as nephrotoxicity, sometimes resulting in acute renal failure with oligoanuria, and hepatotoxicity. Although deterioration of renal function, determined by acute tubulointerstitial nephritis and/or acute tubular necrosis, typically appears in patients receiving intermittent rifampicin therapy, some authors have also reported cases occurring during continuous rifampicin therapy. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of acute renal failure with polyuria occurring in a previously healthy 50-year-old Caucasian man undergoing continuous therapy with rifampicin for culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient was admitted to the L. Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Rome, Italy, with a 1-month history of coughing, fever and weight loss. After 6 weeks of standard antituberculous treatment, progressive deterioration of his renal function was observed: creatinine levels rose from 38.9µmol/L to 318.2µmol/L and urine volume also progressively increased to reach a state of true polyuria (8 to 10L of urine per day). He was diagnosed with suspected acute rifampicin-induced renal failure. A renal biopsy showed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis associated with acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. Rifampicin was discontinued with excellent results: after 15 days his renal function began to improve and his serum creatinine values returned to normal. CONCLUSION: A high index of suspicion for rifampicin-associated acute renal failure should be maintained in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who develop progressive deterioration of renal function during treatment with rifampicin. Early diagnosis and discontinuation of rifampicin are of fundamental importance for recovering renal function.

A sensitive direct sequencing assay based on nested PCR for the detection of HBV polymerase and surface glycoprotein mutations.

Drug resistance is a crucial problem emerging frequently during treatment of hepatitis B, resulting in treatment failure and progression of liver damage. A direct sequencing method based on a nested PCR was established to detect mutations in samples with low viral load. Primers were designed to obtain an amplicon encompassing the A, B, C, D and E functional domains of HBV polymerase. Fifty-five samples were tested, containing HBV DNA ranging from 19 to 1700 IU/mL. Sixteen samples were also tested by the commercially available assay INNO-LiPA HBV DR v2. Sequencing was successful for all samples, and mutations were detected in 24/55 (43.6%). When used in parallel with DR v2, concordant results were found in 8/16 samples. In the eight discordant cases, four were resolved by sequencing and not by DR v2, and four had differences in the mutation patterns. Direct sequencing was able to show pol mutations not revealed by DR v2, such as rtV214A, rtQ215H/S, and rtM250V. Genotype and env variations were also established. This highly sensitive sequencing protocol, providing valuable sequencing data from samples with a low viral load, is suitable for detection of mutations at the very early signs of failure of treatment, thereby allowing to maximize the success of early treatment changes.

A randomized controlled trial of pegylated interferon-alpha2a plus adefovir dipivoxil for hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-alpha monotherapy is the current standard of care for short-term antiviral treatment of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of PEG-IFN-alpha plus adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) versus PEG-IFN-alpha monotherapy for compensated HBeAg-negative CHB. METHODS: A multicentre randomized controlled trial was performed in eight outpatient hepatology/infectious disease clinics in central Italy. A total of 60 patients (67% male and median age 48 years) with biopsy-proven HBeAg-negative compensated CHB (mean alanine aminotranferase [ALT] levels 3.3 +/-3x the upper normal limit and serum hepatitis B virus [HBV] DNA 5.8 +/-0.9 log(10) IU/ml) were randomized at baseline to receive PEG-IFN-alpha2a 180 microg/week plus ADV 10 mg/day or PEG-IFN-alpha2a monotherapy for 48 weeks. Post-treatment follow-up was for 24 additional weeks. The primary end point was sustained HBV DNA suppression defined as serum HBV DNA<2,000 IU/ml after 24 weeks of post-treatment follow-up. The secondary end point was ALT normalization at the end of follow-up. RESULTS: At week 48, HBV DNA was undetectable in 20/30 (67%) in the combination group versus 11/30 (37%) patients in the monotherapy group (P=0.02). ALT normalization was achieved in 17/30 (57%) versus 10/30 (30%) patients, respectively (P=0.03). At week 72, sustained virological response was achieved in 7/30 (23.3%) in the combination group versus 6/30 (20%) patients in the monotherapy group (P=0.75); 5 (16%) patients in each group dropped out because of adverse events or non-compliance. CONCLUSIONS: In HBeAg-negative CHB, combination PEG-IFN-alpha2a plus ADV for 48 weeks is safe and resulted in greater on-treatment efficacy than PEG-IFN-alpha2a monotherapy. No difference in sustained virological and biochemical response rates were observed between the two treatment regimens.

Role of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis D virus and other determinants on suppression of hepatitis C viraemia in HIV infected patients with chronic HCV infection: a longitudinal evaluation.

The role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis D virus (HDV) coinfections as determinants of hepatitis C virus (HCV) suppression in the setting of HIV-HCV coinfection are poorly understood. Our aim was to assess whether HCV viral replication may be affected by HBV or HDV coinfection in the setting of immunodeficiency driven by HIV.Among the 138 enrolled patients 28(20.3%) tested HCV RNA negative and 110 (79.7%) tested HCV RNA negative. The HCV RNA negative patients showed an higher rate of HBsAg positivity compared with those tested HCVRNA positive [12/28 (42.9%) and 5/110 (4.6%), respectively]. Patients with HCV-HBV-HDV coinfection had the highest chance of having an undetectable HCV RNA (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 92.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.7-1483.5, p<0.0001). Furthermore, HBV coinfection per se was also found to be independently associated with negative HCV viraemia (AOR: 18.5, 95% CI 2.4-143.5, p<0.0001). HBsAg-positive patients with negative HCV viraemia maintained undetectable levels over time. Our results support a direct role of HBV and HDV coinfections in suppressing HCV viraemia in HIV infected patients. This effect is durable over time, and is not influenced by HAART including anti-HBV drugs.