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Dive into the research topics where R. Fontana is active.

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Featured researches published by R. Fontana.


Hepatology | 2006

Pegylated interferon alpha-2b as monotherapy or in combination with ribavirin in chronic hepatitis delta.

G. Niro; Alessia Ciancio; Giovanni Battista Gaeta; Antonina Smedile; Aldo Marrone; Antonella Olivero; M. Stanzione; Ezio David; Giuseppina Brancaccio; R. Fontana; Francesco Perri; Angelo Andriulli; Mario Rizzetto

Therapy of chronic hepatitis delta with standard interferon therapy has met with limited efficacy. This study was designed to examine the efficacy and safety of peginterferon with or without ribavirin. Thirty‐eight serum hepatitis B surface antigen‐ and HDV RNA‐positive patients with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) more than 1.5 times the upper normal limit received peginterferon alpha‐2b (1.5 μg/kg) alone as monotherapy (n = 16) or in combination with ribavirin (n = 22), for 48 weeks. Thereafter, all the patients were maintained on peginterferon for 24 weeks and followed for 24 weeks off therapy. The primary end point studied was the virological and biochemical response at the end of follow‐up. HDV RNA was determined by single or nested polymerase chain reaction assays. Twenty‐seven patients (71%), 11 receiving monotherapy and 16 receiving the combination treatment, completed the follow‐up. At the end of treatment, a virological response was observed in 3 of the patients treated with peginterferon (19%) and in 2 of the patients treated with combination therapy (9%), and a biochemical response was observed in 6 (37.5%) and 9 patients (41%), respectively. In nonresponders, ALT diminished from a mean of 174 ± 53 to 86 ± 41 IU/L. At the end of follow‐up, serum HDV RNA was negative in 8 patients (21%), and a biochemical response was detected in 10 patients (26%). Treatment was discontinued in 25% of the patients, and dosing was modified in 58%. In conclusion, a prolonged course of peginterferon alpha‐2b resulted in clearance of serum HDV RNA and ALT normalization in a fifth of patients with chronic hepatitis D, while ribavirin had no effect on the viral clearance rate. Overall tolerance of therapy was poor. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;44:713–720.)


Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics | 2005

Lamivudine therapy in chronic delta hepatitis: A multicentre randomized-controlled pilot study

G. Niro; Alessia Ciancio; H. L. Tillman; M. Lagget; Antonella Olivero; Francesco Perri; R. Fontana; N. Little; F. Campbell; A. Smedile; M. P. Manns; Angelo Andriulli; Mario Rizzetto

Background:  Delta virus (HDV)‐related chronic hepatitis is difficult to treat.


Journal of Hepatology | 2010

Outcome of chronic delta hepatitis in Italy: a long-term cohort study.

G. Niro; Antonina Smedile; A. Ippolito; Alessia Ciancio; R. Fontana; Antonella Olivero; Maria Rosa Valvano; Maria Lorena Abate; Domenica Gioffreda; Gian Paolo Caviglia; Mario Rizzetto; Angelo Andriulli

BACKGROUND & AIMS To investigate the impact of HDV infection on morbidity and mortality of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a retrospective study on 188 patients that underwent a program of periodic surveillance until 2008. The demographic data, stage of liver disease, treatment efficacy, development of liver complications (ascites, oesophageal bleeding, encephalopathy), and survival were registered. A Cox regression analysis was carried out to determine the impact of viral and patient features on survival. RESULTS At baseline, 126 patients (67%) tested positive for serum IgM anti-HDV antibodies, 171 (91%) for anti-HBe, 175 (93%) for serum HDV-RNA, and 61 (33%) for serum HBV-DNA. Eighty-two patients (43%) had chronic hepatitis at histology; the remaining 106 individuals had a clinical/histological diagnosis of cirrhosis. Ninety-six patients received interferon (n = 90) or lamivudine (n = 6) therapy, and 27 of them (30%) attained a sustained response. During follow up, 21 patients with chronic hepatitis progressed to cirrhosis. Of the 127 cirrhotic patients, hepatic decompensation occurred in 42 patients (33%) and hepatocellular carcinoma in 17 (13%). The 5- and 10-year survival free of events were 96.8% and 81.9%, respectively, for patients with chronic hepatitis, and 83.9% and 59.4% for cirrhotics (p<0.01). At multivariate analysis, lack of antiviral therapy (p = 0.01), cirrhosis at presentation (p<0.01), and male sex (p = 0.03) independently predicted a worse outcome. CONCLUSION HDV liver disease lasts several decades. Half of all patients who develop cirrhosis later will advance to liver failure. At present, interferon therapy is recommended as soon as possible to slow or alter the natural course of liver disease.


Liver International | 2005

Tumor necrosis factor gene polymorphisms and clearance or progression of hepatitis B virus infection

G. Niro; R. Fontana; Domenica Gioffreda; Maria Rosa Valvano; Angelo Lacobellis; Domenico Facciorusso; Angelo Andriulli

Abstract: Objectives: We evaluated the influence of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) promoter gene polymorphisms on clearance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and outcome of HBV chronic hepatitis.


Digestive and Liver Disease | 2011

Hepatitis delta virus infection: Open issues

G. Niro; Domenica Gioffreda; R. Fontana

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) consists of a circular single-stranded RNA genome which assembles two viral proteins and acquires a lipid envelope in which the hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) are embedded. HDV does not encode its own polymerase, but exploits a cellular enzyme for its replication. A better understanding of the mechanisms of HDV replication mechanism would provide new insights for antiviral strategies. Based on genomic variability, eight major genotypes of HDV have been identified, which differ as much as 40% in the nucleotide sequence. The cloning of HDV-RNA has provided genetic probes for the measurement of HDV-RNA in serum and liver; the sensitivity of HDV-RNA detection improved significantly when the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was introduced. As no commercial test is standardized for viral load detection, home-made assays have been developed in the different referral centers, which may not be comparable. Quantification of HDV in serum by real-time PCR has been recently proposed in the management of chronically infected patients. No specific inhibitors of HDV are available at present and, in spite of the crucial relationship between HDV and HBV, drugs that block HBV have only a theoretical but no sound effect on HDV replication.


Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences | 2009

TNF-α polymorphisms in primary biliary cirrhosis: A Northern and Southern Italian experience

G. Niro; Francesca Poli; Angelo Andriulli; Ilaria Bianchi; Francesca Bernuzzi; Lisa Caliari; R. Fontana; Domenica Gioffreda; Maria Rosa Valvano; Mauro Podda; Pietro Invernizzi

Specific HLA alleles and immunoregulatory genes have been evaluated in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but data are discordant. We determined whether TNF‐α promoter polymorphisms (G‐308A and G‐238A) and alleles of HLA class II (HLA‐DRB1) might be associated either with PBC occurrence and severity in Italian populations from two distinct areas. The distribution of TNF1 (G/G) genotype did not differ either between patients and controls or between patients from Northern and Southern Italy. Contrariwise, the HLA‐DRB1*08 appeared positively linked to the occurrence of disease (8.4% in patients vs. 2.5% in controls, P= 0.003), whereas the HLA‐DRB1*13 appeared to be protective, being more frequent in controls (12.8%) than in patients (7%) (P= 0.038). Neither positively nor negatively associated alleles of the two genomic loci had an effect on disease progression. We report a distinct genetic risk of developing PBC in the Italian population, with no interaction between the HLA and TNF alleles.


Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics | 2016

HBsAg kinetics in chronic hepatitis D during interferon therapy: on‐treatment prediction of response

G. Niro; A. Smedile; R. Fontana; Antonella Olivero; Alessia Ciancio; Maria Rosa Valvano; F. Pittaluga; N. Coppola; H. Wedemeyer; K. Zachou; Aldo Marrone; M. Fasano; G. Lotti; Pietro Andreone; A. Iacobellis; Angelo Andriulli; Mario Rizzetto

Therapy of chronic hepatitis D with Interferon is successful when testing for HDV‐RNA turns negative. This end‐point is disputed.


Liver International | 2014

Variation in genes encoding for interferon λ‐3 and λ‐4 in the prediction of HCV‐1 treatment‐induced viral clearance

Orazio Palmieri; A. Ippolito; Maurizio Margaglione; Maria Rosa Valvano; Domenica Gioffreda; M. Fasano; Giovanna D'Andrea; Giuseppe Corritore; Michele Milella; Nicola Andriulli; F. Morisco; Lydia Giannitrapani; Anna Latiano; R. Fontana; Pietro Gatti; Paolo Tundo; Michele Barone; R. Cozzolongo; T. Santantonio; Angelo Andriulli

In patients with chronic HCV‐1 infection, recent evidences indicate that determination of a dinucleotide polymorphism (ss469415590, ΔG/TT) of a new gene, designated IFN λ‐4, might be more accurate than the 12979860CC type of the IL28B locus in predicting sustained virological response (SVR) following peg‐interferon and ribavirin. In addition, combined genotyping of different SNPs of the IL28B locus was shown to help dissect patients most prone to SVR among those with rs12979860CT.


Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine | 2013

Advance in molecular diagnostic tools for hepatitis B virus detection.

Pazienza; G. Niro; R. Fontana; Manlio Vinciguerra; Angelo Andriulli

Abstract The rapid evolution of molecular biology techniques has a significant impact on laboratory medicine. Nowadays a large number of diagnostic tools are available to diagnose and to characterize the different phases of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The advent of the assay for nucleic acid amplification and detection enables clinicians to initiate and monitor antiviral therapy whilst allowing basic scientists to carry out studies on HBV biology. This review will focus on the evolution of the diagnostic tools to detect and monitor HBV infection.


Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics | 2003

Re‐treatment of patients with anti‐HBe‐positive chronic hepatitis B who relapsed after an initial course of lamivudine

G. Niro; T. Santantonio; R. Fontana; M. Insalata; Domenico Facciorusso; F. Signorile; Francesco Perri; A. Guastadisegni; Domenica Gioffreda; Orazio Palmieri; Giuseppe Pastore; Angelo Andriulli

Aim : To evaluate the efficacy of a long‐term course of lamivudine monotherapy in patients with anti‐HBe‐positive chronic hepatitis B who relapsed after the first course of either lamivudine/interferon (n = 16; Group 1) or lamivudine (n = 20; Group 2).

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G. Niro

Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza

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Angelo Andriulli

Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza

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Domenica Gioffreda

Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza

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Maria Rosa Valvano

Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza

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A. Ippolito

Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza

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