Is elimination of hepatitis C virus realistic by 2030: Eastern Europe.

The WHO elimination goals (diagnosis of 90% of the cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV), treatment coverage in 80% and a 65% reduction in deaths from HCV) are set to be reached by 2030. Although these elimination programmes are extremely important in the Eastern European countries (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova) with a high prevalence of HCV, limited economic resources prevent their development and implementation. Regardless of the decrease in the incidence HCV in all Eastern European countries, low diagnosis and treatment access, especially in high-risk populations, will not allow to achieve HCV elimination or even to control the infection by 2030.

Epidemiological and clinical features of tick-borne encephalitis in north-western region in Belarus

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: to present epidemiological features and clinical manifestations of TBE in patients residing in Grodno region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 124 case histories of patients with TBE in "Grodno Regional Infectious Clinical Hospital" in 2010 ­ 2014. RESULTS: Epidemiological features of tick-borne encephalitis are the prevalence of the transmission mechanism of contamination (57.3%), involvement of residents of Grodno and Grodno region (54.2%) of middle age (46.6±3.5 years) in the epidemic process. Clinical features of the illness in 124 patients were the prevalence of moderate forms of the illness (72%) in the form of meningeal (34.6%) and common infectious (29%) clinical cases. CONCLUSIONS: Over the last 5 years in Grodno region an increased incidence of tick-borne encephalitis exceeding republican indices has been established. Among clinical cases there is an increase in severe forms of neuroinfections and mixed tick-borne.

Mesenchymal Bone Marrow-derived Stem Cells Transplantation in Patients with HCV Related Liver Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To evaluate the effect of intraparenchymal transplantation of mesenchymal bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC). METHODS: Mononuclear cells were isolated from patient bone marrow and were passaged several times in vitro in order to reach the required volume. Attributes of the BMSCs were evaluated by the presence of the surface markers CD105+, CD90+, and CD73+. Cells from each passage were evaluated for sterility, and they were transplanted intraparenchymally into liver tissue. Clinical and laboratory data were evaluated and morphological studies of liver biopsy were performed prior to and 6 months after transplantation. RESULTS: On clinical evaluation, the general state of these patients was improved at 1 month following transplantation of BMSCs. At 1 and 6 months post-transplantation, jaundice was absent in four (67%) patients. After 6 months, functional hepatic indices were improved, i.e. decrease of ALT and AST activity and bilirubin level. However, these decreases were not statistically different (P>0.05). Expression of CD34 and α-SMA in liver biopsy samples were decreased at 6 months after transplantation, consistent with structural improvements in mitochondria and nuclear compartments. CONCLUSIONS: Intraparenchymal transplantation of autologous BMSCs improved the functional condition of the liver, stimulated reparative processes in hepatocytes, and decreased extracellular matrix protein (EMP) count in hepatic tissues of patients with LC. It was well tolerated and was not associated with any complications both during and after BMSC transplantation.