Secondary Autochthonous Outbreak of Chikungunya, Southern Italy, 2017.

In 2017, a chikungunya outbreak in central Italy later evolved into a secondary cluster in southern Italy, providing evidence of disease emergence in new areas. Officials have taken action to raise awareness among clinicians and the general population, increase timely case detection, reduce mosquito breeding sites, and promote mosquito bite prevention.

Real-life glecaprevir/pibrentasvir in a large cohort of patients with hepatitis C virus infection: The MISTRAL study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It is paramount to identify predictors of treatment failure with direct antiviral agents in 'field-practice' patients, including people who inject drugs (PWID). Data on the efficacy of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) in a field-practice scenario are scant. The multicentre MISTRAL study enrolled 1177 patients, including PWID, to assess real-life efficacy and safety of GLE/PIB and to identify the predictive factors for this treatment. METHODS: This was a prospective, longitudinal study. The outcome variable was the rate of sustained virological response (SVR) at week 12. RESULTS: A total of 123 patients (10%) were infected from hepatitis C virus (HCV) 3. METAVIR fibrosis score was F4 in 104 subjects (9%); 118 patients (10%) were PWID. Overall, 1163/1177 (99%) patients achieved SVR. The baseline clinical factors discriminating between treatment success and treatment failure were age at treatment (P = 0.031) and creatinine level (P = 0.034). SVR rates were not influenced by gender, substance abuse, previous treatment, treatment duration, fibrosis or chronic kidney disease stage. Compared with non-substance users, the 118 PWID exhibited a significantly different genotype pattern distribution (χ2  < 0.001). A total of 40/118 (33.9%) of substance users were HCV3 compared to 83/1056 (7.9%) non-substance users. Only 6 patients (0.5%) reported a serious adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: The MISTRAL study provides evidence of GLE/PIB efficacy in a field-practice scenario in a highly epidemic HCV area in southern Italy; it unveiled significant differences in genotype distribution among the most underserved and difficult-to-treat patient subgroups including PWID.

Update on epidemiology of HCV in Italy: focus on the Calabria Region.

The epidemiological profile of HCV infection is evolving in Europe, as well as in Italy. We have previously showed genotype distributions and their dynamics in 2,153 HCV RNA positive patients living in Calabria, Southern Italy, over 11 years. In this study, we extend and update this information by evaluating a hospital-based cohort of 945 HCV RNA positive patients attending five hospitals in the Calabria Region from January 2011 to August 2013. We assessed rates of HCV genotypes according to age and gender and the dynamics of HCV genotype distribution over the 3-year period studied. Data showed that genotype 1b is the most prevalent, followed by subtypes 2a/2c and genotype 3. Genotype 4 exhibited an increase between 2011 and 2013. Also, we found a significant decrease in the median age of subjects infected with HCV genotype 3 and 4 during the period studied. Since HCV genotypes are important in epidemiology, pathogenesis and response to antiviral therapy, a continuous epidemiological surveillance is needed.

A holistic evaluation of patients with chronic Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection enrolled in the Italian PITER-B and delta cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We aimed to characterize the epidemiologic and comorbidities profiles of patients with chronic Hepatitis D (CHD) followed in clinical practice in Italy and explored their interferon (IFN) eligibility. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of the PITER cohort consisting of consecutive HBsAg-positive patients from 59 centers over the period 2019-2023. Multivariable analysis was performed by logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 5492 HBsAg-positive enrolled patients, 4152 (75.6%) were screened for HDV, 422 (10.2%) were anti-HDV positive. Compared with HBsAg mono-infected, anti-HDV positive patients were more often younger, non-Italians, with a history of drug use, had elevated alanine transaminase (ALT), cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Compared with Italians, anti-HDV positive non-Italians were younger (42.2% age ≤ 40 years vs. 2.1%; P < 0.001), more often females (males 43.0% vs. 68.6%; P < 0.001) with less frequent cirrhosis and HCC. HDV-RNA was detected in 63.2% of anti-HDV-positive patients, who were more likely to have elevated ALT, cirrhosis, and HCC. Extrahepatic comorbidities were present in 47.4% of anti-HDV positive patients and could affect the eligibility of IFN-containing therapies in at least 53.0% of patients in care. CONCLUSIONS: CHD affects young, foreign-born patients and older Italians, of whom two-thirds had cirrhosis or HCC. Comorbidities were frequent in both Italians and non-Italians and impacted eligibility for IFN.

Interaction of alcohol intake and cofactors on the risk of cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the interaction between alcohol intake and cofactors [hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), body mass index] and coffee consumption on the risk of cirrhosis. DESIGN: Seven hundred and forty-nine consecutive patients with chronic liver disease referring to units for liver or alcohol diseases in Italy during a 6-months period. Teetotalers were excluded. The odds ratios (OR) for cirrhosis were evaluated using chronic hepatitis cases as the control group. RESULTS: An alcohol intake of more than 3 units/day resulted associated with the likelihood of cirrhosis both in males (OR 4.3; 95% CI=2.5-7.3) and in females (OR 5.7; 95% CI=2.3-14.5). A multiplicative interaction on the risk of cirrhosis between risky alcohol intake and HBsAg or HCV-Ab/HCV-RNA positivity was observed. A reduction of cirrhosis risk was observed in subjects consuming more than 3 alcohol units/day with increasing coffee intake. The OR for the association with cirrhosis decreased from 2.3 (95% CI=1.2-4.4) in subjects drinking 0-2 cups of coffee/day to 1.4 (95% CI=0.6-3.6) in those drinking more than 2 cups/day. CONCLUSIONS: In subjects with an alcohol intake >3 units/day the coexistence of HBV or HCV multiplies the risk of cirrhosis. Coffee represents a modulator of alcoholic cirrhosis risk.

Blood-borne chronic viral infections in a large cohort of immigrants in southern Italy: A seven-centre, prospective, screening study.

BACKGROUND: Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of blood-borne chronic viral infections in immigrants living in southern Italy and identify factors associated to viral infections. METHODS: A prospective screening program was performed in seven clinical centers operating in Campania, Apulia and Calabria regions in southern Italy, in order to identify immigrants with HBV, HCV or HIV infections. RESULTS: Of 4,125 immigrants observed in the study period, 3,839 (93.0%) agreed to be screened: 381 (9.9%) resulted HBsAg-positive, 136 (3.5%) anti-HCV, 62 (1.6%) anti-HIV and 1,448 (37.7%) HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc-positive. Ongoing or previous HBV infection was observed more frequently in males (p = 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively), whereas HIV infection in females (p = 0.01). Immigrants from western Africa showed a higher rate of HBsAg positivity (p < 0.0001), HBsAg negativity/anti-HBc positivity (p < 0.0001) and anti-HIV positivity (p = 0.004) compared with those from other geographical areas. At multivariate analysis, ongoing HBV infection was associated with male sex (OR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04-2.14) and origin from western Africa (OR 4.67, 95% CI: 1.70-12.80) and eastern Europe (OR 3.44, 95% CI: 1.17-10.08). HCV infection showed the tendency to be more frequent among males (OR 1.84, 95% CI: 0.99-3.42). HIV infection was associated with an older age (OR 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.06), origin from western Africa (OR 4.09, 95% CI: 1.26-13.29) and female sex (OR 2.38, 95% CI: 1.29-4,39; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV infections in our large cohort of immigrants should definitively prompt Italian Healthcare Authorities to develop adequate cost-effective screening policies.

High HIV-1 diversity in immigrants resident in Italy (2008-2017).

The proportion of new diagnoses of HIV infection in immigrants residing in Italy raised from 11% in 1992 to 29.7% in 2018. To investigate the HIV clades circulating in this community a retrospective study was performed in 557 HIV-infected immigrants living in 12 Italian cities. Immigrants originated from East-Europe and Central-Asia (11.7%), North Africa and Middle East (7.3%), South and South-East Asia (7.2%), Latin America and the Caribbean (14.4%), and sub-Saharan Africa (59.4%). More than 87% of immigrants were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), although 26.6% of them were viremic. A 22.0% of immigrants had hepatitis (HBV and/or HCV) and/or tuberculosis. HIV phylogenetic analysis on sequences from 192 immigrants showed the presence of clades B (23.4%), G (16.1%), C (10.4%), A1 (9.4%), F1 (5.2%), D (1.6%) and Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs) (33.9%). CRF02_AG represented 72.3% of the total CRFs. Clusters between immigrants and Italian natives were also present. Drug resistance mutations to NRTI, NNRTI, and PI drug classes occurred in 29.1% of ART-treated and in 12.9% of ART-naïve individuals. These data highlight the need for tailored public health interventions in immigrants to avoid spreading in Italy of HIV genetic forms and ART-resistant variants, as well as HIV co-morbidities.

Correlates of infection and molecular characterization of blood-borne HIV, HCV, and HBV infections in HIV-1 infected inmates in Italy: An observational cross-sectional study.

Coinfection of blood-borne hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses (HBV and HCV, respectively) in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-positive individuals frequently occurs in inmate population and peculiar viral strains and patterns of virological markers may be observed.Plasma from 69 HIV-1-positive inmates was obtained from 7 clinical centers connected with correctional centers in different towns in Italy. HIV, HBV, and HCV markers were tested by commercial assays. Virus genotyping was carried out by sequencing the protease and reverse transcriptase-encoding region (PR-RT region) for HIV and a region encompassing the NS5B gene for HCV and subsequent phylogenetic analysis.Twelve over 14 HIV-subtyped inmates were infected with HIV-1 subtype B strains. The 2 non-B strains belonged to subtype G and CRF02_AG, in an Italian and a Gambian patient, respectively. Variants carrying the K103N and Y181C resistance mutations to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) were found in 2 out of 9 patients naive for combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) (22.2%). Most HIV-positive patients (92.8%) showed evidence of past or present HBV and/or HCV infection. Prevalence of HBV and HCV was 81.2% for both viruses, whereas prevalence of HBV/HCV coinfection was 69.6%. A significantly higher presence of HCV infection was found in Italians [odds ratio (OR) 11.0; interval 1.7-80.9] and in drug users (OR 27.8; interval 4.9-186.0). HCV subtypes were determined in 42 HCV or HBV/HCV-coinfected individuals. HCV subtypes 1a, 3a, 4d, and 1b were found in 42.9%, 40.5%, 14.3%, and 2.4% of inmates, respectively. Low titers of HBV DNA in HBV DNA positive subjects precluded HBV subtyping.The high prevalence of HBV and HCV coinfections in HIV-infected inmates, as well as the heterogeneity of HIV and HCV subtypes suggest the need to adopt systematic controls in prisons to monitor both the burden and the genetic forms of blood-borne viral infections, in order to apply targeted therapeutic interventions.