Eight patients received a single infusion of infliximab, and four received two or more infusions. Median follow-up duration was 16.0 months (range, 1.6–41.4 months). The clinical response was evaluated based on a modified Truelove-Witts severity index. Results:  Six patients (50.0%) achieved clinical remission within 30 days. Overall cumulative colectomy-free survival was estimated to see more be 58.3% at 41.4 months. Adverse events included an elevation of liver enzymes (1/12; 8.3%) and a mild infusion reaction (1/12; 8.3%). No mortality occurred. Conclusions: 

Infliximab can induce remission in patients with ulcerative colitis who do not tolerate or respond to tacrolimus therapy. “
“Recent data indicate that multiple hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections (mixed infection, superinfection, and reinfection) are common among injection drug users (IDUs). In this study, we identified and characterized multiple HCV infection episodes among HCV-seronegative IDU prison inmates (n = 488) enrolled in the Hepatitis C Incidence and Transmission Study cohort. Incident HCV infection with detectable HCV RNA was identified in 87 subjects, 48 of whom completed additional follow-up to screen for reinfection or superinfection. All HCV RNA–detectable samples were tested for multiple infection through a series of specifically

designed nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR) with sequencing and HCV RNA level measurement. Sequencing revealed that 22 of 87 (25.3%) subjects were infected by two click here or more viruses. Nine (10.3%) subjects were designated as prevalent cases of incident mixed infection, because

two distinct HCV strains medroxyprogesterone were detected at the first viremic time point. Fifteen further cases of multiple HCV infection (superinfection or reinfection) were identified, two of which also showed baseline incident mixed infections. The incidence of new HCV infection (superinfection and reinfection) during follow-up was 40/100 person-years (95% confidence interval, 33-44/100 person-years). Spontaneous clearance of viruses from one subtype and persistence of the other subtype after mixed infection was observed in eight subjects. In these subjects, the virus with higher HCV RNA levels superseded the other. Conclusion: This study comprehensively analyzed frequent multiple HCV infections in a high-risk cohort and provides further insight into infection dynamics and immunity after exposure to variant viral strains. The data presented suggest that HCV RNA levels play an important role in viral competition. (HEPATOLOGY 2010;52:1564-1572) Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 2%-3% of the world’s population, or approximately 170 million people.1 Injection drug use is the most common route of transmission, with the prevalence in long-term injection drug users (IDUs) ranging from 64% to 94%.