Macrophages regulate the fibrotic process in chronic liver disease. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate two new macrophage-specific serum biomarkers [soluble CD163 (sCD163) and soluble mannose receptor (sMR, sCD206)] as potential fibrosis markers in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Forty patients with chronic hepatitis C were included from two hospital clinics. On the day of inclusion, transient elastography (TE) was performed to assess the fibrosis stage, and blood samples were collected for the measurement of sCD163 and sMR. The plasma concentrations of both biomarkers were significantly higher in patients infected with HCV and with cirrhosis compared to those with no/mild liver fibrosis (5.77 mg/l vs. 2.49 mg/l and 0.44 mg/l vs. 0.30 mg/l for sCD163 and sMR, respectively). The best separation between groups was obtained by sCD163 [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.89 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.79-0.99)] as compared to sMR [AUC 0.75 (95 % CI 0.61-0.90)]. sCD163 and sMR correlated significantly (r (2) = 0.53, p < 0.0001). Interestingly, sCD163 also correlated significantly with TNF-α (presented in a previous publication), which is shed to serum by the same mechanism as sCD163 (r (2) = 0.40, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the macrophage-related markers sCD163 and sMR are significantly higher in patients chronically infected with HCV and with cirrhosis than in those with no/mild fibrosis. sCD163 is a promising new fibrosis marker in patients infected with HCV.

We conclude that temperature and elasticity measurements do not alone characterize ulceration severity, although redness index in some cases provides a useful indication. We assume that a subepidermal layer found on ultrasound images may be a measure of the pressure that the skin has been subjected to, rather than of the severity of the pressure ulceration. This method may be useful for predicting whether the skin is at risk of developing pressure ulcers. More studies are needed.

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Examination with TE 4 years after treatment shows that patients with CHC, who have achieved SVR, have significantly lower liver stiffness than patients with non-SVR. This indicates that histological liver outcome improves during the first year after the treatment for CHC.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with the Occurrence of viral or bacterial diseases, with vaccinations, or with operative events during childhood. Our reference population was 198,000 persons recorded in the register of school health records from the Copenhagen council. We compared 92 MS patients contained in the register with matched controls from the register, three for each patient. Risk of MS was inversely associated with a positive tuberculin skin test at age 7 years, i.e. with exposure to tuberculosis before the age of 7, and possibly also with the occurrence of measles infection before age 7 (not statistically significant). Disease risk was not significantly related t o other viral or bacterial infections of childhood, nor t o routine vaccinations, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy or appendectomy.Our findings suggest a difference between MS patients and controls with respect to environment before school age, the former being less exposed t o air-borne infections.

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We found no difference in AEs possibly related to the DAA regimen in patients with CHC, but surprisingly, AEs possibly related to the DAA regimen persisted in a significant number of patients after treatment. This finding can be of importance for clinicians in relation to patient information concerning AEs possibly related to DAA treatment.

Transient elastography examinations demonstrate that prolonged treatment with NUCs in patients with CHB results in low liver stiffness, suggesting regression of fibrosis in a majority of patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis.