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Direct‐acting antivirals in women of reproductive age infected with hepatitis C virus J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Krystyna Dobrowolska, Małgorzata Pawłowska, Dorota Zarębska‐Michaluk, Piotr Rzymski, Ewa Janczewska, Magdalena Tudrujek‐Zdunek, Hanna Berak, Włodzimierz Mazur, Jakub Klapaczyński, Beata Lorenc, Justyna Janocha‐Litwin, Anna Parfieniuk‐Kowerda, Dorota Dybowska, Anna Piekarska, Rafał Krygier, Beata Dobracka, Jerzy Jaroszewicz, Robert Flisiak
Eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the population of women of reproductive age is important not only for the health of women themselves but also for the health of newborns. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of this goal by analysing the effectiveness of contemporary therapy in a large cohort from everyday clinical practice along with identifying factors reducing therapeutic
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Performance of HCV core antigen and PCR testing in a predominantly genotype 3 population J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Ammara Naveed, Abdullah Khalid, Naveed Janjua, Gavin A. Cloherty, Saeed Akhter
Hepatitis C core antigen (HCVcAg) is becoming increasingly recognized as an alternative to molecular testing for the confirmation of chronic hepatitis C. However, there are limited data on the performance of this assay in a genotype 3 (GT3) predominant country like Pakistan. We conducted a study to evaluate the diagnostic performance of HCVcAg against the HCV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) molecular
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Predictors of engagement in screening for a hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment trial in a rural Appalachian community J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Jennifer R. Havens, Michelle R. Lofwall, April M. Young, Michele Staton, Takako Schaninger, Hannah Fraser, Peter Vickerman, Sharon L. Walsh
An HCV treatment trial was initiated in September 2019 to address the opioid/hepatitis C virus (HCV) syndemic in rural Kentucky. The focus of the current analysis is on participation in diagnostic screening for the trial. Initial eligibility (≥18 years of age, county resident) was established by phone followed by in‐person HCV viremia testing. 900 rural residents met the inclusion criteria and comprised
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Leveraging opportunities for treatment/user simplicity (LOTUS): Navigating the current treatment landscape for achieving hepatitis C virus elimination among persons who inject drugs J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Mark S. Sulkowski, Anthony Martinez, Gia L. Tyson, Kathleen Scholz, Ricardo A. Franco, Anita Kohli, Susan F. Julius, Paulina Deming, Scott A. Fink, Keisa Lynch, Marina Roytman, Tuesdae R. Stainbrook, Marshe D. Turner, Matthew Viera‐Briggs, Christian B. Ramers
All‐oral, direct‐acting antivirals can cure hepatitis C virus (HCV) in almost all infected individuals; yet, many individuals with chronic HCV are not treated, and the incidence of acute HCV is increasing in some countries, including the United States. Strains on healthcare resources during the COVID‐19 pandemic negatively impacted the progress toward the World Health Organization goal to eliminate
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Racial discrimination, knowledge, and health outcomes: The mediating role of hepatitis B‐related stigma among patients with chronic hepatitis B J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Julia G. Katcher, Ann C. Klassen, Hie‐Won Hann, Mimi Chang, Hee‐Soon Juon
It is well described in current literature that Hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects Asian Americans more than any other racial group in the United States and that there is a stigma attached to this condition. The effects of stigma can be lasting, penetrating physiologically and psychologically, yet few studies have focused on the consequences of this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to examine
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High prevalence of hepatitis B virus among MSM living with HIV in India J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Hussain Syed Iqbal, Mihili P. Gunaratne, Talia A. Loeb, Amrose Pradeep, Allison M. McFall, Aylur K. Srikrishnan, Mark Anderson, Mary A. Rodgers, David D. Celentano, Shruti H. Mehta, Gavin A. Clohertly, Sunil S. Solomon
People living with HIV (PWH) have been shown to bear a higher burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) due to shared routes and risk factors for transmission. Populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) are at an increased risk of both being infected with HBV and HIV, that places them at higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Using weighted and adjusted multilevel logistic regression, we characterized
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Real‐world hepatitis C prevalence and treatment uptake at opioid agonist therapy clinics in Ontario, Canada J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 B. Wolfson‐Stofko, G. Hirode, A. Vanderhoff, J. Karkada, C. Capraru, M. J. Biondi, B. Hansen, H. Shah, H. L. A. Janssen, J. J. Feld
Widespread screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) is necessary for Canada to meet its HCV elimination goals by 2030. People who currently or previously injected drugs are at high risk for HCV. Opioid agonist therapy (OAT, such as methadone and buprenorphine) has been shown to help stabilize the lives of people who are opioid‐dependent. The distribution of OAT in North America typically requires daily
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A contactless cure: Leveraging telehealth to improve hepatitis C treatment at a safety-net hospital J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-18 Krysta Frye, Andrew Davis, Rapheisha Darby, Kathryn McDaniel, Kristi Quairoli, Zhanxu Liu, Lesley S. Miller, Shelly-Ann Fluker
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes significant mortality worldwide. HCV is highly curable but access to care is limited for many patients. The Grady Liver Clinic (GLC), a primary care-based HCV clinic, utilizes a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive care for a medically underserved patient population in Atlanta, Georgia. The GLC added a telehealth option for HCV treatment at the start of the
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Birth cohort-specific consideration in an Emergency Department Hepatitis C Testing Programme: A description of age-related characteristics and outcomes J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Lauren A. Walter, Myles Prados, Audrey Lloyd, Sylvie Sontheimer, Matthew Heimann, Joel B. Rodgers, Delissa T. Hand, Ricardo Franco
The emergency department (ED) has increasingly become an important public health partner in non-targeted hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing and referral to care efforts. HCV has traditionally been an infection associated with the Baby Boomer generation; however, recent exacerbation of the opioid epidemic has resulted in a growing number of younger cohorts, namely Millennials, also impacted by HCV. Examination
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Validation of dried blood spots for capturing hepatitis C virus diversity for genomic surveillance J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Damien C. Tully, Karen A. Power, Jacklyn Sarette, Thomas J. Stopka, Peter D. Friedmann, P. Todd Korthuis, Hannah Cooper, April M. Young, David W. Seal, Ryan P. Westergaard, Todd M. Allen
Dried blood spots (DBS) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional venous blood for hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing. However, their capacity to accurately reflect the genetic diversity of HCV remains poorly understood. We employed deep sequencing and advanced phylogenetic analyses on paired plasma and DBS samples from two common subtypes to evaluate the suitability of DBS for genomic surveillance
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Biogenesis of serum HBV RNA and clinical phenomena of serum HBV RNA in chronic hepatitis B patients before and after receiving nucleos(t)ide analogues therapy J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Liandong Wu, Zhenggang Yang, Min Zheng
There are estimated 300 million people afflicted with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) worldwide. The risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) increases considerably with chronic hepatitis B infection. While current therapeutics are effective in controlling hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and disease progression, a cure for HBV infection remains unattainable due to an intranuclear replicative
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Test characteristics for combining non-invasive liver fibrosis staging modalities in individuals with Hepatitis C virus J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Rachel L. Epstein, Benjamin Buzzee, Laura F. White, Jordan J. Feld, Laurent Castera, Richard K. Sterling, Benjamin P. Linas, Lynn E. Taylor
Non-invasive methods have largely replaced biopsy to identify advanced fibrosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV). Guidelines vary regarding testing strategy to balance accuracy, costs and loss to follow-up. Although individual test characteristics are well-described, data comparing the accuracy of using two tests together are limited. We calculated combined test characteristics to determine the utility of
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Chronic viral hepatitis C micro-elimination program using telemedicine in Guigang city J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Riying Lv, Yanmeng Lu, Wenyao Xiang, Menglan Meng, Shixiong Li
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a formidable menace to human health, necessitating urgent attention. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of HCV health management in the city of Guigang which consists of five districts, employing a comprehensive multi-modal approach. The study systematically carried out HCV screening in Guigang city which consists of five districts,
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Retraction J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-29
Retraction: ‘Infectivity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) positive plasma with undetectable HBV-DNA: Can HBsAg screening be discontinued in Egyptian blood donors?’ by Magdy El Ekiaby, Junko Tanaka, Harry van Drimmelen, Jean-Pierre Allain, Nico Lelie, J Viral Hepat 2022, 29: 330–339. The above article, published online on 11 March 2022 in Wiley Online Library (https://onlinelibrary
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Addition of PEG-interferon to long-term nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy enhances HBsAg decline and clearance in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-19 Mina S. Farag, Margo J. H. van Campenhout, M. J. Sonneveld, Scott Fung, Karel J. van Erpecum, David K. Wong, Elke Verhey, Robert de Man, Robert J. De Knegt, Johannes T. Brouwer, Hubertus C. Baak, Jordan J. Feld, Kin Seng Liem, André Boonstra, Bettina E. Hansen, Harry L. A. Janssen
We studied whether 48 weeks of PEG-IFN alfa-2a add-on increases HBsAg-decline and clearance in HBeAg-negative patients on long-term nucleo(s)tide analogue (NA) therapy. In this investigator-initiated, randomized, controlled trial conducted in Europe and Canada, HBeAg-negative patients treated with NA > 12 months, with HBVDNA < 200 IU/mL, were enrolled. Patients were randomized 2:1 to 48 weeks of PEG-IFN
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Hsa_circ_0010882 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by modulating M1/M2 macrophage polarization J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Ming Yang, Tao Yu, Li Han
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one common malignant tumour with a high immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment and poor outcomes. This study investigated the influence of hsa_circ_0010882 on M1/M2 macrophage polarization in the progression of HCC. A total of 125 paired tissue specimens from HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy were collected. M1 and M2 phenotypes macrophages were induced using
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Persistence of antibodies 5 years after hepatitis B vaccination in preterm birth children: A retrospective cohort study using real-world data J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Wei Qin, Ling Shao, Jun Wang, Huan Zhang, Yao Wang, Xiaqing Zhang, Shaoyu Xie, Fan Pan, Kai Cheng, Liguo Ma, Yafei Chen, Jian Song, Dawei Gao, Zhichao Chen, Wei Yang, Rui Zhu, Hong Su
Previous studies did not provide substantial evidence for long-term immune persistence after the hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) in preterm birth (PTB) children. Consequently, there is ongoing controversy surrounding the booster immunization strategy for these children. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the disparities in immune persistence between PTB children and full-term
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Prevalence of hepatitis C among pregnant women in an Appalachian population J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Taylor S. Pollock, Chris A. Robert, Dara J. Seybold, Marisa Hur, Alina Broton, Byron C. Calhoun
The opioid crisis has adversely affected West Virginia's pregnant and infant populations. With high rates of opioid use disorder and neonatal abstinence syndrome, West Virginia has the highest rates of Hepatitis C (HCV) acute infection among pregnant women. To better understand how HCV impacts an already high-risk population, the study purpose was to (1) describe its prevalence among women receiving
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Identifying missed opportunities for hepatitis C virus antenatal testing and diagnosis in England J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-04 Matthew Hibbert, Ruth Simmons, Caroline A. Sabin, Sema Mandal, Monica Desai
New case-finding opportunities are needed to achieve hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination in England by the year 2030. HCV antenatal testing is not offered universally in England but is recommended for women with risk factors for HCV (e.g. injecting drug use, being born in a high-prevalence country). The aim of this analysis was to investigate the missed opportunities for HCV antenatal testing among
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Context-dependent accuracy of the cobas plasma separation card for HCV RNA viral load measurement J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-02 Huma Qureshi, Ana Carrasco Duran, Hassan Mahmood, Zahida Sarwar, Khalid Mahmood, Krishna Midde, Jesse A. Canchola, Neil T. Parkin, Benjamin La Brot
Collection and preservation of plasma are challenging in remote or under-resourced settings. The cobas® Plasma Separation Card (PSC) is an alternative specimen type for blood-borne pathogen nucleic acid quantitation. We assessed PSC as a specimen type for HCV RNA quantitation in Pakistan. Plasma from venous blood and PSC from finger prick blood were prepared at two sites: Site 1 (in Lahore, n = 199)
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Real-world safety and effectiveness of tenofovir alafenamide for 144 weeks in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-01 Shuhei Hige, Kouji Aoki, Daisuke Nakamoto, John F. Flaherty, Irina Botros, Hajime Mizutani, Akinobu Ishizaki, Hiroki Konishi, Jason Yuan, Masahisa Jinushi, Leslie J. Ng
Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), a prodrug of tenofovir, delivers high levels of active drug to hepatocytes and is given in a lower dose than tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). TAF reduces viral replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) similar to TDF and has shown a lower risk of the renal and bone toxicities associated with TDF use. This post-marketing surveillance study examined the safety
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Distribution of rapid HCV antibody self-test kits via needle/syringe dispensing machines: Implementation and evaluation of the Vend-C pilot study in Melbourne, Australia J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Daniel O'Keefe, David Jacka, Caitlin Douglass, Jack Gunn, Mark Stoove, Sione Crawford, Mellissa Bryant, Peter Higgs, Paul Dietze, Margaret Hellard
Recent guidance from the World Health Organization strongly recommended hepatitis C virus (HCV) self-testing. We implemented the Vend-C pilot study to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of distributing rapid HCV antibody self-test kits to people who inject drugs via needle/syringe dispensing machines (SDMs). Over a 51-day study period between August and September 2022, we distributed HCV antibody
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The impact of hepatitis B and C positive serologies on the outcomes of non-hepatic solid organ transplantation in the United States J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-29 Saleh A. Alqahtani, Maria Stepanova, Reem Al Shabeeb, Kathrine Luz Eberly, Janus Ong, Zobair M. Younossi
Chronic viral hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) infection could negatively affect outcomes of non-hepatic solid organ transplantations due to the risk of viral reactivation in the presence of immunosuppression. This study aimed to determine post-transplant outcomes in patients with HBV or HCV positivity receiving non-hepatic solid-state organ transplant. Data was collected from the Scientific Registry
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Effect of previous infection with hepatitis B virus on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma after sustained virologic response in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-26 Hidenori Toyoda, Yuichi Koshiyama, Satoshi Yasuda, Takashi Kumada, Kazuaki Chayama, Tomoyuki Akita, Junko Tanaka
Previous infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is assessed by HBV core antibody (HBcAb) or surface antibody (HBsAb) titres, has reportedly been associated with an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the influence of previous HBV infection on the incidence of HCC in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who achieved eradication of HCV, that
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Serum CXCL16: A new predictor of liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-25 Yawen Wan, Minxin Mao, Ming Li, Jiacheng Liu, Xin Tong, Jian Wang, Jie Li, Shengxia Yin, Chao Wu
The prompt initiation of antiviral therapy is essential in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), especially when severe liver inflammation is detected. However, transcutaneous liver puncture, the gold standard for assessing liver inflammation, is invasive and its widespread application is limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more non-invasive markers to predict liver inflammation. In
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Sex-related difference analyses of efficacy and safety in clinical trials of direct-acting antivirals to treat chronic HCV genotype 1 and 3 infections J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-19 Shuang Zhou, Karen Qi, Susan J. Bersoff-Matcha, Poonam Mishra, Kimberly Struble
This study aims to identify clinically meaningful sex differences in efficacy and selected safety adverse events for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) or HIV/HCV co-infection in those receiving combination direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens. Our assessment was based on adult trial participants treated at the approved DAA dosage and treatment duration from 40 phase 3 clinical
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Assessing the hepatitis C epidemiology in Switzerland: It is not that trivial J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-08 Homie Razavi, Sarah Blach, Andrea Bregenzer, Philip Bruggmann, Andreas Cerny, Bettina Maeschli, Beat Müllhaupt, Francesco Negro, Claude Scheidegger, David Semela
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT HR is a member of advisory boards for Gilead, AbbVie, Abbott, Merck, Janssen, Roche and VBI Vaccines. All proceeds were donated to Center for Disease Analysis Foundation. His organization has received research funding from Gilead, Assembly Biosciences, AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Intercept, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and Roche. SB was an employee of the CDA Foundation
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International disease burden of acute viral hepatitis among adolescents and young adults: An observational study J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-08 Qing Yang, Tianxiang Lin, Yanrong Zhao, Yinwei Qiu, Xuewen Jiang, Hongyu Yang
Adolescents and young adults are the driving force of social development, and the prevalence of acute viral hepatitis (AVH) in this population cannot be ignored. At present, there are few studies on the disease burden of AVH in this age group, and most studies focus on chronic liver disease. In this study, we identified global trends in the burden of AVH among adolescents and young adults (15–29) to
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Hepatitis A hospitalisations in the United States and risk factors for inpatient mortality: A nationwide population study, 1998–2020 J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-12-08 Paul Wasuwanich, Joshua M. So, Songyos Rajborirug, Wikrom Karnsakul
Hepatitis A virus infections in the United States have been declining; however, recent widespread outbreaks have brought the disease back into the spotlight. We aim to describe the epidemiology of hepatitis A hospitalisations from 1998 to 2020 in the United States and investigate risk factors for inpatient mortality. We utilised the National Inpatient Sample database and identified hepatitis A-related
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Excellent hepatitis C virus cure rates despite increasing complexity of people who use drugs: Integrated-Test-stage Treat study final outcomes J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-11-28 Margaret O'Sullivan, Anna-Marie Jones, Adele Mourad, Yazan Haddadin, Sumita Verma
Achieving hepatitic C virus (HCV) elimination requires linking people who use drugs (PWUD) into care. We report final direct-acting antivirals (DAAs)-based outcomes from the Integrated-Test-stage -Treat (ITTREAT) study. Project ITTREAT (2013–2021), based at an addiction centre, was a ‘one-stop’ service with innovative linkage to care strategies. Primary outcome was sustained virological response (SVR12)
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Epidemiology of hepatitis D virus infection in Europe: Is it vanishing? J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-11-14 Aslıhan Demirel, Suleyman Uraz, Zeynep Deniz, Ebubekir Daglilar, Omer Basar, Veysel Tahan, Resat Ozaras
Co-infection with hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a challenging health care problem worldwide, estimated to occur in approximately 5%–10% of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. While HBV prevalence is decreasing globally, the prevalence of HDV infection is rising in some parts mainly due to injection drug use, sexual transmission and immigration from high endemicity areas. Eastern
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Incidence of hepatitis C virus infection in the prison setting: The SToP-C study J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-11-07 Behzad Hajarizadeh, Joanne M. Carson, Marianne Byrne, Jason Grebely, Evan Cunningham, Janaki Amin, Peter Vickerman, Natasha K. Martin, Carla Treloar, Marianne Martinello, Andrew R. Lloyd, Gregory J. Dore
People in prison are at high risk of HCV given high injecting drug use prevalence. This study evaluated HCV incidence and associated injecting drug use characteristics in prison. The SToP-C study enrolled people incarcerated in four Australian prisons. Participants were tested for HCV at enrolment and then every 3–6 months (October-2014 to November-2019). Participants eligible for this analysis included
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Chronic hepatitis B beyond clinical burden: Psychosocial effects and impact on quality of life J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-11-03 Randa Taher Natour, Amir Midlej, Elisabeth Mahajna, Yael Kopelman, Saif Abo-Mouch, Fadi Abu Baker
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection has far-reaching implications for patients' quality of life (QOL), regardless of cirrhosis or complications. However, limited research exists on the psychosocial impact of CHB, particularly in asymptomatic, noncirrhotic patients. Noncirrhotic CHB patients without comorbidities affecting QOL were evaluated in hepatology clinics. Patients underwent a standardized interview
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‘There's too much power in this number. It's freaking the whole response out’: The views of key informants on evidence and targets to achieve hepatitis C elimination goals in Australia J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-11-02 Carla Treloar, Jake Rance, Joanne Bryant, Lise Lafferty
Enumeration of disease is a key management tool. Setting of targets, like for hepatitis C elimination, have deep meaning and effect. We use the case of elimination in New South Wales (NSW), Australia to examine key informants' understandings of the use of targets, and the evidence that informs them, to drive action in elimination. Twenty-eight key informants working in NSW, elsewhere in Australia and
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Role of HBsAg levels in guiding hepatitis B virus prophylaxis in pregnancy: Insights from a multi-ethnic cohort J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-10-26 Lung-Yi Mak, Apostolos Koffas, Grace E. Dolman, Hossam Saleh, Polychronis Kemos, Anna Riddell, Upkar Gill, Patrick T.F. Kennedy
Pregnant mothers with chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) need peri-partum antiviral prophylaxis (PAP) to reduce the risk of mother-to-child-transmission. Currently, PAP is recommended in those with high viral load (VL) that is, HBV DNA >200,000 IU/mL. Quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) >10,000 IU/mL, a cut-off derived primarily from hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) positive antenatal cohorts
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Reply to ‘Assessing the hepatitis C epidemiology in Switzerland: It’s not that trivial’ J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-10-07 Barbara Bertisch, Christian Schaetti, Patrick Schmid, Laura Peter, Pietro Vernazza, Marc Isler, Robert Oppliger, Axel Jeremias Schmidt
We thank Sarah Blach et al.1 for bringing attention to our update paper on the prevalence of HCV infections in Switzerland.2 Blach et al. aim to challenge our estimate of 5900–9200 persons living in Switzerland with chronic hepatitis C in 2020 (0.1% viraemic prevalence). Their main argument against our new estimates is the unfounded allegation that we did not handle the large number of publications
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The role of dried blood spot tests in the detection of hepatitis B infection: A systematic review J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-10-03 Maria Concepcion C. Virtudazo, Jericho B. Aquino, Rose Nicole B. Arellano, Robert A. Fortes, Raphaela C. Kaw, Ourlad Alzeus G. Tantengco
Hepatitis B remains a public health problem worldwide despite vaccine availability. Although the existing diagnostic tools help detect the infection, logistics support and limited resources and technologies affect their usefulness and reliability in developing countries. This systematic review evaluated the performance of dried blood spots (DBS) as a collection and storage tool for diagnosing an hepatitis
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Does hepatitis delta virus have a preference for hepatitis B virus genotype? A systematic review of the literature J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-10-03 Justine Beghin, Vanessa Meier-Stephenson
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a deficient virus that requires the surface proteins of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) to complete its replication. HDV is thus only found in those already infected with HBV (~5% worldwide). There are eight different HDV genotypes (1–8) and 10 HBV genotypes (A–J), each having fairly distinct geographic distributions. While their pairings may be coincidental based on epidemiological
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The elimination of hepatitis D as a public health problem: Needs and challenges J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-10-03 Thomas Vanwolleghem, Paige A. Armstrong, Maria Buti, David FitzSimons, Sara Valckx, Greet Hendrickx, Pierre Van Damme
Infection with hepatitis D virus leads to liver disease and cancer most rapidly of all hepatitis viruses. However, knowledge about hepatitis D remains poor and the burden and impact are underestimated, even though some 12–15 million people mainly in low- and middle-income countries may be affected. Its epidemiology is changing, with increasing migration leading to increased risks of infection and disease
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Effects of hepatitis B virus infection on the treatment outcomes following in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection: An analysis of 21,999 first embryo transfer cycles J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-09-23 Ning-Zhao Ma, Wei Dai, Xiao Bao, Zhi-Qin Bu, Hao Shi, Ying-Pu Sun
To investigate the effects of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the outcomes of Chinese couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and the clinical data of their neonates. A total of 21,999 first embryo transfer cycles were included. They were categorized into four groups based on the couple's hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) result (Group A = female
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CHB patients with rtA181T-mutated HBV infection are associated with higher risk hepatocellular carcinoma due to increases in mutation rates of tumour suppressor genes J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-09-21 Qiqi Ning, Tongwang Yang, Xianghua Guo, Yanxiang Huang, Yuxue Gao, Mengcheng Liu, Pengxiang Yang, Yuanyue Guan, Ning Liu, Yang Wang, Dexi Chen
The HBV rtA181T mutation is associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to evaluate the mechanism by which rtA181T mutation increases the risk of HCC. We enrolled 470 CHB patients with rtA181T and rtA181V mutation in this study; 68 (22.15%) of the 307 patients with rtA181T mutation and 22 (13.5%) of the 163 patients
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HIV and HCV testing at clinical encounters among people who inject drugs, 2013–2018—Opportunities for increased testing and prevention J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-09-19 Kimberly N. Evans, Theresa Vettese, Pascale M. Wortley, Ami P. Gandhi, Heather Bradley
People who inject drugs (PWID) with unsafe injection practices have substantial risk for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. We describe frequency of, and factors associated with, HIV and HCV testing during clinical encounters with PWID. Inpatient and Emergency Department clinical encounters at an Atlanta hospital were abstracted from medical records spanning January 2013–December 2018. We
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What is the impact of a Hepatitis C ‘test, trace and treat’ pilot using peer workers? J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-09-18 Allsop Caroline, Mcque Kate, Mark Roberts, Jelley Ryan, Suzanne Murphy, Carrie Richardson, Aishah Coyte, Yusri Taha, McPherson Stuart
Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and deaths worldwide. HCV treating teams are working toward the goal of eliminating HCV by 2030. People who inject drugs (PWIDs) are at high risk of HCV but contact tracing is not routine practice. Here, we present the outcomes of a HCV ‘test, trace and treat’ pilot using peer workers to test contacts of individuals with HCV. PWIDs
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Risk-stratified approach by aMAP score for community population infected with hepatitis B and C to guide subsequent liver cancer screening practice: A cohort study with 10-year follow-up J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-09-18 Hua He, Yanhua Wu, Zhifang Jia, Hongqin Xu, Yuchen Pan, Donghui Cao, Yangyu Zhang, Xuerong Tao, Tianye Zhao, Haiyong Lv, Jiaxin Yi, Yuehui Wang, Yanhang Gao, Changgui Kou, Junqi Niu, Jing Jiang
The aim of this study was to determine whether the age-Male-ALBI-Platelet (aMAP) score is applicable in community settings and how to maximise its role in risk stratification. A total of thousand five hundred and three participants had an aMAP score calculated at baseline and were followed up for about 10 years to obtain information on liver cancer incidence and death. After assessing the ability of
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Impact of 5 years of hepatitis C testing and treatment in the North East of England prisons J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-09-12 Amy Johnson, Jessica Shearer, Craig Thompson, Ryan Jelley, Jodi Aldridge, Caroline Allsop, Jenna Kerry, Dee Jones, Francesca McCullough, Carolyn Miller, Manoj Valappil, Yusri Taha, Steven Masson, Tony Jefferson, Colin Lawton, Lee Christensen, Stuart McPherson
Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is prevalent in prisons. Therefore, effective prison HCV services are critical for HCV elimination programmes. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a regional HCV prison testing and treatment programme. Between July 2017 and June 2022, data were collected prospectively on HCV test offer and uptake rates, HCV Antibody (HCV-Ab) and HCV-RNA positivity, treatment starts
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Dysregulated metabolites and lipids in serum of patients with acute hepatitis E: A longitudinal study J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-09-11 Shaheen Khan, Yashwant Kumar, Charu Sharma, Sonu Kumar Gupta, Amit Goel, Rakesh Aggarwal, Naga Suresh Veerapu
Hepatitis E is a disease associated with acute inflammation of the liver. It is related to several dysregulated metabolic pathways and alterations in the concentration of several metabolites. However, longitudinal analysis of the alterations in metabolites and lipids is generally lacking. This study investigated the changes in levels of metabolites and lipids over time in sera from men with acute hepatitis
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AhR may be involved in Th17 cell differentiation in chronic hepatitis B J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-08-23 Ruyi Zhang, Huaie Liu, Jie Lin, Jie Ding, Jing You, Jiawei Geng
Th17 cells which are crucial for host immunity have been demonstrated to increase HBV infection. However, the mechanism of the Th17 cell increase is unknown. Hence, the mechanism of Th17 cell enhancement is important to provide a theoretical foundation for chronic hepatitis B immunotherapy. This study included 15 instances in the healthy control (HC) and 15 cohorts in the chronic hepatitis B (CHB)
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Cascade of care among people with hepatitis B in New South Wales, Australia J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-08-08 Syed Hassan Bin Usman Shah, Heather Valerio, Behzad Hajarizadeh, Gail Matthews, Maryam Alavi, Gregory J. Dore
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) care cascade characterisation is important for monitoring HBV elimination progress. This study evaluated care cascade and factors associated with HBV DNA testing and treatment in New South Wales, Australia. HBV care cascade were determined through linkage of HBV notifications (1993–2017) to Medicare and pharmaceutical benefits schemes (2010–2018). Timely HBV DNA testing was
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Assessing the hepatitis C epidemiology in Switzerland: It’s not that trivial J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-08-08 Sarah Blach, Andrea Bregenzer, Philip Bruggmann, Andreas Cerny, Bettina Maeschli, Beat Müllhaupt, Francesco Negro, Homie Razavi, Claude Scheidegger, David Semela
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT SB was an employee of the CDA Foundation. Otherwise, she has nothing else to declare. AB has received Research Funding from Gilead und Abbvie. The employer of PB has received project, research and travel grants from Abbvie and Gilead. BMüllhaupt has received speaking and/or consulting fees from Merck/MSD, AbbVie, Intercept, Astra, Bayer, BMS and Gilead Sciences and research
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Clinical impact of hepatic steatosis on chronic hepatitis B patients in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-08-02 Run Zhou, Luping Yang, Binbin Zhang, Yunpeng Gu, Tingting Kong, Wei Zhang, Lei Sun, Chunlan Liu, Ningjia Kong, Jie Li, Junping Shi
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and hepatic steatosis (HS) are two prevalent chronic liver diseases in Asia. The incidence of CHB combined with HS is increasing due to the rising obesity rates. However, the impact of HS on CHB remains a topic of debate. Hereby, this meta-analysis aims to examine the effect of HS on Asian patients with CHB. Searches were conducted on four databases to identify articles published
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Development of monoclonal antibodies to target the large surface protein of hepatitis B virus and their use in therapeutic and diagnostic applications J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-31 Subha Sankar Paul, Som Mohanlal Patwa, Yee-Joo Tan
Over 250 million people are living with chronic infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV has three surface proteins, namely small (SHBs), medium (MHBs) and large (LHBs), and they play different roles in the virus life cycle. The approved hepatitis B vaccine only contains the SHBs protein and many studies have focused on characterising the functional domains in SHBs. Although the LHBs protein
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Clinical and histological features of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection in the grey zone J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-26 Qin Yi Gan, Jie Xiao Wang, Feng Qian, Yin Ling Wang, Yan Huang, Zheng Lan Zhang, Shao Wen Jiang, Chen Xi Zhang, Ming Hao Cai, Cong Qian, Hao Shuang Fu, Shuang Zhao, Hui Juan Zhou, Zhu Jun Cao, Qing Xie
Chronic HBV infection patients who do not conform to any of the usual immune states are regarded as ‘grey zone’ patients. We aimed to investigate the proportion of chronic HBV infection patients in the grey zone, and evaluate the clinical characteristics and liver pathological changes in grey zone patients. Clinical data of 1391 treatment-naive chronic HBV infection patients with liver biopsy were
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Prevalence and determinants of hepatitis delta virus infection among HIV/hepatitis B-coinfected adults in care in the United States J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-24 Nicole D. Ferrante, Michael J. Kallan, Sophia Sukkestad, Maja Kodani, Mari M. Kitahata, Edward R. Cachay, Debika Bhattacharya, Sonya Heath, Sonia Napravnik, Richard D. Moore, George Yendewa, Kenneth H. Mayer, K. Rajender Reddy, Tonya Hayden, Saleem Kamili, Jeffrey N. Martin, H. Nina Kim, Vincent Lo Re
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection increases the risk of liver complications compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) alone, particularly among persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, no studies have evaluated the prevalence or determinants of HDV infection among people with HIV/HBV in the US. We performed a cross-sectional study among adults with HIV/HBV coinfection receiving care
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Profile of patients with a positive HCV viral load in a large French psychiatric hospital (2019–2021): A case–control study J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-23 Coralie Torres, Guillaume Bauer, Sabrina Aubriet, Caroline Scholtes, François Bailly, Marianne Maynard-Muet, Pierre Pradat, Françoise Pillot-Meunier, Louis-Ferdinand Lespine, Benjamin Rolland
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly prevalent in people with mental disorders (PWMDs). However, in the international context of HCV elimination, no previous study has explored the features of seropositive PWMDs with vs. without a positive viral load (VL). We retrospectively retrieved all HCV serology results of patients hospitalized in 2019, 2020 and 2021 in the second-largest psychiatric hospital of
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Acceptability and usability of oral fluid HCV self-testing for hepatitis C diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-23 Hugo Perazzo, Rodolfo Castro, Cristiane Villela-Nogueira, Marcos Torres, Samara Luiza Silva, Sandra W. Cardoso, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Valdilea G. Veloso
Data on the acceptability and usability of hepatitis C virus self-testing (HCVST) remain scarce. We estimated the pooled rates of acceptability/feasibility and re-reading/re-testing agreement of HCVST using oral fluid tests (PROSPERO-CRD42022349874). We searched online databases for studies that evaluated acceptability, usability and inter-reader/operator variability for HCVST using oral fluid tests
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Substance use and CD4/CD8 ratio in HIV/HCV co-infected people receiving direct-acting antiviral treatment (ANRS CO13 HEPAVIH): Authors' reply J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-11 Roberto Rossotti
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT The author has no conflict of interest to declare.
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Depletion of circ_0088046 suppressed cell growth and motility of hepatocellular carcinoma via circ_0088046-miR-1299-RTKN2 ceRNA pathway J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-08 Li Zhang, Sai He, Hao Guan, Yao Zhao, Di Zhang
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been verified to be important modulators and therapeutic targets of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to explore the role and mechanism of circ_0088046 in HCC progression. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry assays were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of circ_0088046, miR-1299
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Dynamic risk assessment for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-06 Mei Lu, Reena Salgia, Jia Li, Sheri Trudeau, Loralee B. Rupp, Trueman Wu, Yihe G. Daida, Mark A. Schmidt, Stuart C. Gordon
Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) is a primary cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although antiviral treatment reduces risk of HCC, few studies quantify the impact of treatment on long-term risk in the era of direct-acting antivirals (DAA). Using data from the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study, we evaluated the impact of treatment type (DAA, interferon-based [IFN], or none) and outcome (sustained virological
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Persistent low prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination among people with HIV: Time for a change? J. Viral Hepat. (IF 2.5) Pub Date : 2023-07-04 Angie Garcia, Karen J. Vigil, Barbara Taylor, Onkar Kshirsagar, Mae Thamer, Mamta K. Jain
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma and mortality among people living with HIV (PLWH). HBV vaccination provides protection from infection; however, vaccination rates are low. We conducted a retrospective analysis at three HIV centres in Texas to determine the proportion of PLWH who received the recommended 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine within