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Life‐long hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) administration is a main component of prophylactic strategy to prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) reinfection after liver transplantation (LT). Long‐term effects of HBIG treatment are known only for intravenous (IV) and intramuscular formulations. To evaluate safety and efficacy of self‐administered SC HBIG, 135 LT patients receiving a 48‐week treatment were analyzed. The dose of HBIG was 500 IU or 1000 IU if body weight was <75 kg or ≥75 kg, respectively. Patients were switched from the monthly IV HBIG treatment to weekly SC HBIG 2–3 weeks after the last IV dosage. All patients were able to SC self‐injection after a single training. The treatment was effective in maintaining trough anti‐HBs levels >100 IU/L. No severe drug‐related side effects occurred. Fifteen injection‐site small hematomas and four cases of mild itch occurred. At the end of the study, anti‐HBs median titer was 232 IU/L (115–566 IU/L) and 97.8% of patients had an anti‐HBs level >150 IU/L. Due to high mean level of anti‐HBs titers observed during this study, individualized treatment schedules should be further investigated. In conclusion, SC HBIG for long‐term prophylaxis of post‐LT HBV reinfection resulted safe, well accepted, and effective in maintaining adequate anti‐HBs levels.

Life-long hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) administration is a main component of prophylactic strategy to prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) reinfection after liver transplantation (LT). Long-term effects of HBIG treatment are known only for intravenous (IV) and intramuscular formulations. To evaluate safety and efficacy of self-administered SC HBIG, 135 LT patients receiving a 48-week treatment were analyzed. The dose of HBIG was 500 IU or 1000 IU if body weight was <75 kg or ≥75 kg, respectively. Patients were switched from the monthly IV HBIG treatment to weekly SC HBIG 2–3 weeks after the last IV dosage. All patients were able to SC self-injection after a single training. The treatment was effective in maintaining trough anti-HBs levels >100 IU/L. No severe drug-related side effects occurred. Fifteen injection-site small hematomas and four cases of mild itch occurred. At the end of the study, anti-HBs median titer was 232 IU/L (115–566 IU/L) and 97.8% of patients had an anti-HBs level >150 IU/L. Due to high mean level of anti-HBs titers observed during this study, individualized treatment schedules should be further investigated. In conclusion, SC HBIG for long-term prophylaxis of post-LT HBV reinfection resulted safe, well accepted, and effective in maintaining adequate anti-HBs levels.

X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (xIRP) is a severe progressive retinal degeneration which affects about 1 in 25,000 of the population. The most common form of xIRR RP3, has been localised to the interval between CYBB and OTC in Xp21.1 by linkage analysis and deletion mapping. Identification of microdeletions within this region has now led to the positional cloning of a gene, RPGR, that spans 60 kb of genomic DMA and is ubiquitously expressed. The predicted 90 kD protein contains in its N-terminal half a tandem repeat structure highly similar to RCC1 (regulator of chromosome condensation), suggesting an interaction with a small GTPase. The C-terminal half contains a domain, rich in acidic residues, and ends in a potential isoprenylation anchorage site. The two intragenic deletions, two nonsense and three missense mutations within conserved domains provide evidence that RPGR (retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator) is the RP3 gene.

The authors describe twin Vivaldi antennas directly fed by a coplanar waveguide. They have been designed and measured for various angles between the radiating slots. All the designs show a centred zero in the E plane with a low cross-polarisation. In the H plane they provide zeros for φ = 90° and 270° and are omnidirectional for other values.

A circularly polarised patch antenna, fed by a coplanar waveguide, is investigated experimentally. The antenna is excited by a couple of 100 Ω slotlines which are combined to obtain a 50 Ω coplanar waveguide. The axial ratio and the bandwidth of the antenna are similar to those obtained with other types of feeding.

A coplanar waveguide-fed twin Vivaldi antenna has been developed and tested at 4.4 GHz and an equivalent circuit has been proposed. E-plane radiation patterns show a centred zero because of the odd excitation of the antennas while low cross-polarisation levels are observed. The maximum radiation angle can be modified by adjusting the distance between the antennas. The equivalent circuit will be useful for the design of a parallel series-fed array of Vivaldi antennas.