Combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is considered the new standard therapy for naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of treatment with weight-based peginterferon alpha-2b (1.5 mg/kg per week) plus ribavirin (800-1,200 mg/day) for 48 weeks in naïve, relapser and non-responder (to previous treatment with interferon plus ribavirin) patients with chronic hepatitis C. Sixty-seven naïve, 26 relapser and 40 non-responder patients were enrolled. The overall sustained virological response (SVR) for the intention-to-treat population was 54% for naïve, 62% for relapser and 38% for non-responder patients. In the naïve subgroup, SVR was significantly higher in patients with the non-1 genotype (67%) compared to those with genotype 1 (45%). In relapsers and non-responders, SVR was, respectively, 69% and 24% in patients with genotype 1 and 43% and 73% in those with genotype non-1. There were no significant differences in SVR rates among the three body weight ranges (< 65 kg, 65-85 kg and > 85 kg) in any of the subgroups. Early virological response (EVR) was reached by 78%, 81% and 58% of naïve, relapser and non-responder patients, respectively, and among those with EVR, 63%, 67% and 61%, respectively, subsequently achieved SVR. All of the non-responder patients who did not have EVR reached SVR. Treatment was discontinued in 13% of the patients, due to loss to follow-up, hematological abnormalities or depression.

RACIONAL: A colangiografia retrógrada endoscópica é método acurado porém invasivo para o diagnóstico da coledocolitíase. A ecoendoscopia também é método bastante eficaz para a detecção de cálculo coledociano e apresenta riscos semelhantes àqueles de uma endoscopia digestiva convencional. OBJETIVOS: Comparar a acurácia da ecoendoscopia e da colangiografia endoscópica para o diagnóstico do cálculo da via biliar principal antes da colecistectomia laparoscópica e analisar a influência do tamanho do cálculo e do calibre da via biliar principal na eficácia diagnóstica da ecoendoscopia. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Duzentos e quinze pacientes com colecistolitíase sintomática foram admitidos para colecistectomia laparoscópica. Destes, 68 (31,7%) apresentaram dilatação da via biliar extra-hepática à ecografia convencional e/ou alteração de enzimas hepáticas e canaliculares. Foram, então, submetidos a ecoendoscopia e colangiografia endoscópica, seguida de papilotomia, se qualquer um dos métodos sugerisse a presença de coledocolitíase. Após a papilotomia, o maior cálculo foi recuperado e medido. A exploração endoscópica ou cirúrgica da via biliar foi considerada o padrão-ouro para o diagnóstico de coledocolitíase. RESULTADOS: Todos os 68 pacientes foram submetidos a colecistectomia laparoscópica com colangiografia intra-operatória, comprovando-se colecistolitíase neste grupo. A ecoendoscopia foi mais sensível do que a colangiografia endoscópica para a detecção de cálculos coledocianos (97% vs. 67%). Para os cálculos maiores de 4,0 mm, os métodos apresentaram sensibilidades semelhantes (96% vs. 90%). Os resultados da ecoendoscopia não foram influenciados pelo tamanho do cálculo ou pelo calibre do colédoco. CONCLUSÕES: Para pacientes com risco intermediário para coledocolitíase, a ecoendoscopia é método mais sensível do que a colangiografia endoscópica, especialmente para cálculos pequenos.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography is highly accurate in diagnosing choledocholithiasis, but it is the most invasive of the available methods. Endoscopic ultrasonography is a very accurate test for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis with a risk of complications similar to that of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. AIM: To compare the accuracy of endoscopic ultrassonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in the diagnosis of common bile duct stones before laparoscopic cholecystectomy and to analyze endoscopic ultrasound results according to stone size and common bile duct diameter. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and fifteen patients with symptomatic gallstones were admitted for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Sixty-eight of them (31.7%) had a dilated common bile duct and/or hepatic biochemical parameter abnormalities. They were submitted to endoscopic ultrassonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Sphincterotomy and sweeping of the common bile duct were performed if endoscopic ultrassonography or endoscopic retrograde cholangiography were considered positive for choledocholithiasis. After sphincterotomy and common bile duct clearance the largest stone was retrieved for measurement. Endoscopic or surgical explorations of the common bile duct were considered the gold-standard methods for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis. RESULTS: All 68 patients were submitted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiography with confirmation of the presence of gallstones. Endoscopic ultrassonography was a more sensitivity test than endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (97% vs. 67%) for the detection of choledocholithiasis. When stones >4.0 mm were analyzed, endoscopic ultrassonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography presented similar results (96% vs. 90%). Neither the size of the stone nor the common bile duct diameter had influence on endoscopic ultrasonographic performance. CONCLUSIONS: For a group of patients with an intermediate or moderate risk with respect to the likelihood of having common bile duct stones, endoscopic ultrassonography is a better test for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis when compared to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography mainly for small-sized calculi.

Este estudo apresenta os resultados de investigação sorológica para o virus da hepatite B (VHB) entre pacientes hansenianos como etapa inicial para um programa de vacinação contra Hepatite B na cidade de Goiânia - Brasil Central. Os principais objetivos foram determinar a soroprevalência dos marcadores sorológicos para hepatite B entre pacientes com hanseníase do polo lepromatoso da doença, e avaliar a institucionalização como fator de risco para a infecção pelo VHB. Foram estudados 83 pacientes ambulatoriais e 171 pacientes institucionalizados e os marcadores testados foram AgHBs, anti-HBs e anti-HBc, utilizando-se a técnica de radioimuno ensaio. A prevalência de portadores virais (HBsAg) foi de 4,8% e 8,8% para os pacientes ambulatoriais e institucionalizados, respectivamente (P>0,05). A prevalência de exposição ao VHB (todos os marcadores) foi estatisticamente diferente entre os pacientes de ambulatório (16,9%) e os institucionalizados (50,5%). Os pacientes institucionalizados tiveram um risco 4 vezes maior de infecção pelo HBV quando comparados aos pacientes ambulatoriais, mesmo após análise multivariada, controlada por sexo e idade.

This investigation presents the results of Hepatitis B virus screening among leprosy patients conducted in Central Brazil as a preliminary information for a HBV vaccination programme. The main objectives were to assess the seroprevalence of HBV serum markers among lepromatous patients and to analyse institutionalization as risk factor for HBV infection in this population. Two groups of lepromatous patients were studied, 83 outpatients and 171 institutionalized ones. Screening for HBV serum markers included the detection of HBsAg, anti-HBc by radioimmune assay (RIA). The prevalence of carrier state (HBsAg) was 4.8% and 8.8% among outpatients and institutionalized, respectively, (p>0.05). Seroprevalence of exposure (all markers) was statistically significant different between outpatients (16.9%) and institutionalized ones (50.3%). Institutionalized patients had an almost four fold risk of HBV infection when compared to the outpatients, and the highest risks were among patients with more than 21 years of residence in the colony, after adjusting for age and sex.