Correspondence: semen parameters in men who recovered from covid-19 - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A recent systematic review with meta-analysis performed by Tiwari et al. (Middle East Fertil Soc J 26:44, 2021) suggested that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects both semen parameters and sexual hormones. However, we have observed a few inconsistencies in their systematic review methods and their synthesis of results (meta-analysis), which would have impacted their results.

[Evaluation of the cellular immunity in patients coinfected by the hepatitis C virus and the human immunodeficiency virus]. / Avaliação da imunidade celular nos pacientes Co-Infectados pelo vírus da hepatite C e vírus da imunodeficiência humana.

BACKGROUND: The immune activation provoked by the hepatitis C virus can be deleterious in patients with human immunodeficiency virus, favouring the destruction of CD4 cells. By the other side, the immune restoration observed after the onset of antiretroviral therapy can be partially obscured in patients with the hepatitis C virus. AIM: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of coinfection by hepatitis C virus and the human immunodeficiency virus in the cellular immunity. METHODS: Two groups of patients were considered: coinfected patients were prospectively evaluated in the gastroenterology clinic at "Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição", Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil (group 1 - 385 patients), and monoinfected patients by human immunodeficiency virus based on the review of the charts from the infectious diseases clinic (group 2 - 198 patients). Demographic (gender, race, age) CD4 and CD8 cell count, CD4/CD8 index and human immunodeficiency virus viral load were evaluated. A 5% significance level was adopted. RESULTS: There were no difference between the parameters evaluated: mean CD4 count (374,7 +/- 215,7 x 357,5 +/- 266,0), CD8 (1.512,4 +/- 7.274,6 x 986,7 +/- 436,4) and HIV viral load (83.744,2 +/- 190.292,0 x 104.464,0 +/- 486.880,5) respectively in both groups evaluated, as well as the proportion of patients with CD4/CD8 rate below 1. CONCLUSION: Coinfection by both viruses did not have a negative impact in relation to monoinfection by human immunodeficiency virus, and the immune profile was similar in all groups.

[Ambulatorial prevalence of hepatitis B and C markers in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection in a general hospital]. / Prevalência ambulatorial em um hospital geral de marcadores para hepatites B e C em pacientes com infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B and C viruses and human immunodeficiency virus share the same route of transmission, and the prevalence of HBV and HCV infection in patients infected with HIV is greater than it is in the general population. AIM: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C markers in a population of patients with HIV as well as the risk factors involved. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 5,870 registration forms of patients with HIV of an Infectology Unit, 587 were randomly selected. From these, the 343 which had investigated the presence of any hepatitis B (HBsAg, anti-HBc or anti-HBs) or C (anti-HCV) marker were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: HBsAg was positive in 14/306 (4.6%), anti-HBs was positive in 40/154(26.0%), and anti-HBc in 79/205 (38.5%). The anti-HCV test was reactive in 126/330 (38.2%). HBV and HCV co-infection was observed in 7 of the 296 patients who had both HBsAg and anti-HCV tests (2.4%). For those who were HBsAg positive, the main exposure factor was homosexual intercourse (50.0%). For those who were anti-HCV reactive, the main risk factor was intravenous drug use (75.3%). In the HIV mono-infected (185 patients), the most prevalent exposure risk factor was promiscuous heterosexual practices or sexual intercourse with a spouse infected with HIV (83 patients - 44.9%). CONCLUSION: In our environment HBV-HIV and HCV-HIV co-infections are frequent, a greater relevance being observed in the association between HCV and HIV.

[Steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with chronic hepatitis due to hepatitis C virus infection]. / Esteatose e esteatohepatite não-alcoólica nos pacientes com hepatite crônica pelo vírus da hepatite C.

BACKGROUND: [corrected] Hepatic steatosis is a common finding in patients with hepatitis C, mainly virus C genotype 3. Steatosis in these cases might be associated with antiviral treatment response and with prognosis of chronic hepatitis. AIMS: To determine the presence of steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in chronic hepatitis C and its correlation with genotype and hepatic fibrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with chronic hepatitis C were retrospectively evaluated; genotype was done in 102 patients. All specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, picrosirius and perls. Staging of hepatitis C was scored by Brazilian Classification and the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases criteria RESULTS: Steatosis was found in 65 of 120 cases (54.2%); it was mild in 37/65 (56.9%), moderate in 12/65 (18.5%) and severe in 10/65 (15.4%). In relation to fibrosis, 80 of 120 patients had mild fibrosis F0-F2 (66.6%) and 40 (33.3%) had more advanced fibrosis (F3 or F4). Steatosis was associated with genotype 3 (76.7%) in comparison with other genotypes (49,0%). There were no relationship between steatosis and advanced fibrosis F3/F4 (52,5%) or mild fibrosis (54,4%). Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was diagnosed in 8/120 cases (6.7%) and was significantly associated with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 and with advanced fibrosis (F3 and F4) CONCLUSIONS: The presence of steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in chronic hepatitis C are associated to genotype 3; moreover non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was correlated with more advanced fibrosis.