Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health challenge on the same scale as tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria. The International Coalition to Eliminate HBV (ICE-HBV) is a coalition of experts dedicated to accelerating the discovery of a cure for chronic hepatitis B. Following extensive consultation with more than 50 scientists from across the globe, as well as key stakeholders including people affected by HBV, we have identified gaps in our current knowledge and new strategies and tools that are required to achieve HBV cure. We believe that research must focus on the discovery of interventional strategies that will permanently reduce the number of productively infected cells or permanently silence the covalently closed circular DNA in those cells, and that will stimulate HBV-specific host immune responses which mimic spontaneous resolution of HBV infection. There is also a pressing need for the establishment of repositories of standardised HBV reagents and protocols that can be accessed by all HBV researchers throughout the world. The HBV cure research agenda outlined in this position paper will contribute markedly to the goal of eliminating HBV infection worldwide.

A significant increase (more than 10-fold) in the number of newly diagnosed HIV-1 infections among injecting drug users (IDUs) was observed in Greece during the first seven months of 2011. Molecular epidemiology results revealed that a large proportion (96%) of HIV-1 sequences from IDUs sampled in 2011 fall within phylogenetic clusters suggesting high levels of transmission networking. Cases originated from diverse places outside Greece supporting the potential role of immigrant IDUs in the initiation of this outbreak.

Despite notable scientific and medical advances, broader political, socioeconomic and behavioural factors continue to undercut the response to the COVID-19 pandemic1,2. Here we convened, as part of this Delphi study, a diverse, multidisciplinary panel of 386 academic, health, non-governmental organization, government and other experts in COVID-19 response from 112 countries and territories to recommend specific actions to end this persistent global threat to public health. The panel developed a set of 41 consensus statements and 57 recommendations to governments, health systems, industry and other key stakeholders across six domains: communication; health systems; vaccination; prevention; treatment and care; and inequities. In the wake of nearly three years of fragmented global and national responses, it is instructive to note that three of the highest-ranked recommendations call for the adoption of whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches1, while maintaining proven prevention measures using a vaccines-plus approach2 that employs a range of public health and financial support measures to complement vaccination. Other recommendations with at least 99% combined agreement advise governments and other stakeholders to improve communication, rebuild public trust and engage communities3 in the management of pandemic responses. The findings of the study, which have been further endorsed by 184 organizations globally, include points of unanimous agreement, as well as six recommendations with >5% disagreement, that provide health and social policy actions to address inadequacies in the pandemic response and help to bring this public health threat to an end.

Objectives To investigate Covid-19-associated risk of hospitalization and death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) in comparison with the general population during pandemic’s first year and compare their overall mortality with 2019. Methods Interlinking nation-wide electronic registries, we recorded confirmed Covid-19-associated infections, hospitalizations and deaths, and all-cause deaths between 1-March-2020 and 28-February-2021 in all adults with RA, AS, PsA, SLE, and SSc under treatment (n = 74 970, median age 67.5, 51.2, 58.1, 56.2, 62.2 years, respectively) and in matched (1:5) on age, sex, and region of domicile random comparators from the general population. Deaths from all causes during 2019 were also recorded. Results Compared with the general population incidence rates (IR) for Covid-19-associated hospitalization were higher in RA [IR ratio (IRR):1.71(1.50–1.95)], SLE [2.0(1.4–2.7)] and SSc [2.28(1.29–3.90)], while Covid-19-associated death rates were higher in RA [1.91(1.46–2.49)]. When focusing only on SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects, after adjusting for age and gender, the odds ratio for Covid-19 associated death was higher in RA [1.47(1.11– 1.94)] and SSc [2.92(1.07–7.99)] compared with the general population. All-cause mortality rate compared with the general population increased in RA during the first pandemic year (IRR : 0.71) with reference to 2019 (0.59) and decreased in SSc (IRR : 1.94 vs 4.36). Conclusion Covid-19 may have more severe impact in patients with systemic rheumatic disease than the general population. Covid-19-related mortality is increased in subgroups of patients with specific rheumatic diseases, underscoring the need for priority vaccination and access to targeted treatments.

HBV RNA is considered as a promising predictor in patients who discontinue nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs). We determined HBV RNA levels in non-cirrhotic HBeAg-negative patients who discontinued NAs and assessed their predictability for 12-month outcomes. Fifty-seven patients of DARING-B study were included.HBV RNA levels were determined in stored monthly serum samples drawn at 0-3 months after end of therapy (EOT). Other markers previously determined in the same cohort including hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) were also assessed. HBV RNA at EOT was detectable in 7% of patients, who developed virological/clinical relapse and required retreatment at month 2; in patients with undetectable EOT HBV RNA, 12-month cumulative rates of virological relapse, clinical relapse and retreatment were 68%, 28% and 21%, respectively (p ≤ 0.008).HBV RNA at month-1 after EOT was detectable in 19% of patients being associated with higher probability only of virological relapse (p = 0.001). HBV RNA levels correlated significantly to HBV DNA, HBcrAg, ALT and interferon-induced protein-10, but not HBsAg levels. Combined EOT HBV RNA and HBcrAg detection and/or HBsAg >1000 IU/ml was associated only with higher probability of | 949 PAPATHEODORIDI et al.