Journal of Viral Hepatitis最新文献

{"title":"Changes in Serum Rheumatoid Factor Following Eradication of Hepatitis C Virus Infection With Interferon or Direct Antiviral Therapy","authors":"Ying-Nan Tsai,&nbsp;Jamie Chieh Lo,&nbsp;Cheng-Hao Tseng,&nbsp;Song-Chou Hsieh,&nbsp;Wen-Chin Chiu,&nbsp;Chi-Ming Tai,&nbsp;Chi-Yang Chang,&nbsp;Fu-Jen Lee,&nbsp;Mindie H. Nguyen,&nbsp;Jaw-Town Lin,&nbsp;Yao-Chun Hsu","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14047","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14047","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with a myriad of extrahepatic manifestations (EHM), as well as the production of autoantibodies, including rheumatoid factor (RF). This study aims to elucidate whether serum levels of RF change before and after HCV eradication, and whether these changes differ according to the type of therapy used. This is a retrospective cohort study of adults with chronic HCV infection treated with interferon-free or interferon-based regimens. All patients had HCV viremia at baseline and documented sustained virological response (SVR) 12 or 24 weeks after completing treatment. We measured the serum levels of RF at baseline and at SVR-12 or −24 to analyse the changes after eradication. This study enrolled 297 patients (median age, 59 years; female, 48.5%; cirrhosis, 16.8%). Among them, 78 (26.3%) were RF-positive by qualitative serology at baseline. This number decreased to 49 (16.5%) at SVR-12 or −24 (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Quantitatively, the median RF also decreased from 1.6 IU/mL (interquartile range [IQR], undetectable—15.8) to undetectable (IQR, undetectable—6.6 IU/mL) (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Significant reductions were observed in both groups. The proportion with RF seropositivity decreased from 24.3% to 15.4% (<i>p</i> = 0.001) in patients treated with interferon-free agents (<i>n</i> = 214) and from 31.3% to 19.3% (<i>p</i> = 0.006) in patients treated with interferon-based regimens (<i>n</i> = 83), without significant difference between two groups (<i>p</i> = 0.40). Serum RF decreased after HCV eradication, regardless of treatment regimen. Our findings suggest that HCV eradication may attenuate HCV-related autoimmunity.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142807096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges and Opportunities for Treating Hepatitis C Amongst People Who Use Drugs: Experience of an Integrated Mobile Clinic in Baltimore City","authors":"Amanda Rosecrans,&nbsp;Robert Harris,&nbsp;Anne St Clair,&nbsp;Molly Rice,&nbsp;Meredith Zoltick,&nbsp;Catherine Willman,&nbsp;Anne King,&nbsp;Meredith Kerr,&nbsp;Kathleen R. Page","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14038","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14038","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Progress in treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been slow amongst people who use drugs (PWUD). This study describes the HCV treatment cascade amongst people accessing a mobile clinic offering integrated low-threshold buprenorphine and infectious disease services in Baltimore City. From May 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, 560 people had a rapid HCV antibody test, of whom 201 (36%) had a positive result and amongst those, 117 (58%) had an HCV RNA test performed, 81 (40%) had a documented positive RNA, 45 (22%) were prescribed medication, 42 (21%) started medication, 32 (16%) completed medication, 22 (11%) had blood work to assess for sustained virologic response and 20 (10%) had a documented cure. Challenges including housing instability, insurance barriers and lack of venous access limit progress in this cascade. Providing integrated care models to meet the needs of PWUD in the community is necessary but not sufficient to make progress in improving HCV treatment. Removal of insurance restrictions, availability of point-of-care HCV RNA testing, development of rapid HCV treatment guidelines and development of long-acting injectable HCV treatment are needed to move towards a same-day, one-time test and treat model of care.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142716208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Maternal Hepatitis B Virus Infection on Congenital Heart Disease Risk in Offspring: A National Cohort Study","authors":"Yewan Park,&nbsp;Jihye Heo,&nbsp;Danbee Kang,&nbsp;Geum-Youn Gwak","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14036","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14036","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection influence both maternal and fetal health. Recent studies reported increased congenital anomalies in offspring of HBV-infected mothers. This study investigated whether maternal HBV infection was associated with higher risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in children. With the Korean National Health Insurance Service (K-NHIS) database, this retrospective cohort study included live births from 2005 to 2019, born to women under 40. Propensity score matching with a 1:3 ratio was conducted to compare HBV-infected mother's children with HBV-uninfected mother's children while adjusting for various maternal and pregnancy-related factors. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk. Of 2,673,059 eligible participants, 263,904 children were born to HBV-infected mothers. Risk estimation in this group showed a modestly increased risk of CHD (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.09). Notably, when pregnant mothers were treated with antiviral medication, there was an indication of reduced CHD risk, although this result was not statistically significant. The highest risk of CHD was observed in children who were themselves infected with HBV. The study indicates an association between maternal HBV infection and an increased CHD risk in offspring. The findings suggest the need to re-evaluate the timing of antiviral treatment during pregnancy to align more closely with early stages of fetal cardiac development. Further research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms of this association and to redefine clinical guidelines for managing HBV infection in pregnancy.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142716349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-World Evaluation of Point-of-Care Testing for Hepatitis C Antibodies: Navigating Hepatitis C Elimination Effort","authors":"Kuo Chao Yew,&nbsp;Alyssa Shin Yee Sim,&nbsp;Robert Hawkins,&nbsp;Sanchalika Acharyya,&nbsp;Gerard Daquan Wong,&nbsp;Samuel Wei Chong Wong,&nbsp;Yuan Heng Lim,&nbsp;Wei Lyn Yang,&nbsp;Wei-Yen Lim,&nbsp;Angela Li Ping Chow","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14039","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14039","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An HCV elimination program aims to diagnose more than 90% of Chronic HCV cases. We critically evaluated the performance of a point-of-care test (POCT) using an HCV Rapid Antibody Test. PWID from 4 Halfway Houses (HWH) in Singapore were recruited from March 2022 to April 2023. Participants were concurrently screened for HCV via venous blood for anti-HCV serology and using fingerstick capillary whole blood (FSWB) and oral mucosal transudates (OMT) for POCT, which were interpreted by trained personnel. A blinded study team member independently assessed images of POCTs. Of 207 participants, 37.3% were anti-HCV positive. Compared to anti-HCV serology, POCT performance on FSWB and OMT were: Sensitivity 81.8 (73.2–90.4), 74.0 (64.2–83.8), <i>p</i> = 0.014; Specificity 100.0 (100.0–100.0), 98.5 (96.3–100), <i>p</i> = 0.157. Sub-group analysis of strict 30-min pre-test nil-by-mouth instruction in 103 subjects reported Sensitivity 77.5 (64.6–90.4), 77.5 (64.6–90.4) and Specificity 100.0 (100.0–100.0) and 98.4 (95.3–100.0). OMT positivity and false-negative outcomes did not correlate with the sample analytical cutoff index signal distribution of anti-HCV Serology. Inter-class correlation between real-time and imaging readings of POCT for FSWB and OMT at 20 and 40 min were Kappa 0.9666, 0.9674; 0.8803, 0.8940. Proper preparation and patient selection enhance test performance. Differences in oral fluid immunoglobulin secretion, oral pathology, age, and sample collection can affect POCT OMT readings. POCT OMT is promising in serial and self-testing, complementing its convenience in testing.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142687377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C in Ethiopia: First National Study Based on the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey","authors":"Getahun Molla Kassa,&nbsp;Atsbeha Gebreegziabxier Weldemariam,&nbsp;Saro Abdella Abrahim,&nbsp;Clare E. French,&nbsp;Dawit Wolday,&nbsp;Emebet Dagne,&nbsp;Andargachew Mulu,&nbsp;Aynishet Adane,&nbsp;Sarah K. Inglis,&nbsp;Andrew Radley,&nbsp;Geremew Tasew,&nbsp;Peter Vickerman,&nbsp;Elias Ali Yesuf,&nbsp;Ora Paltiel,&nbsp;Mesay Hailu,&nbsp;Wondwossen Amogne,&nbsp;John F. Dillon,&nbsp;Matthew Hickman,&nbsp;Aaron G. Lim,&nbsp;Josephine G. Walker,&nbsp;the DESTINE NIHR Global Health Research Group","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14037","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is hypothesised to be a public health problem in Ethiopia, and systematic review evidence suggested 1%–3% seroprevalence. We aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of HCV overall and across regions of Ethiopia. We estimated HCV seroprevalence using the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS-2016). EDHS-2016 is a nationwide household survey conducted using two-stage cluster sampling methods. We tested all 26,753 samples from participating adult women (15–49 years) and men (15–59 years) using HCV Enzyme Immunoassay. Descriptive analyses were performed based on the Guide to Demographic Health Survey statistics. We applied sample weighting to derive representative estimates. Of the total tested, more than half (54.40%) were aged 15–29 years and 51.59% were women. Overall HCV seroprevalence was 0.18% (95% Confidence Interval: 0.10–0.32). Higher seroprevalences were found in Afar (0.92%) and South Nations Nationality Peoples Region (0.43%); people living with HIV (PLWH) (0.62%); the poorest wealth index (0.35%); people having multiple lifetime sexual partners (0.31%); and widowed/divorced individuals (0.30%). In stratified analyses by sex and residency, we found higher seroprevalences in non-Christian and non-Muslim males (1.98%) and rural population (1.00%), male PLWH (1.67%), rural PLWH (1.45%), widowed/divorced males (0.97%), and in all groups from the Afar region: males (1.30%), females (0.61%), urban (1.07%), and rural (0.86%). HCV seroprevalence among the general population in Ethiopia is much lower than from previous estimates. General population screening is unlikely to be cost-effective, and so screening programs targeted to people at greater risk of HCV will be required.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.14037","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142682105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preferences and Feasibility of Long-Acting Technologies for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus: A Survey of Patients in Diverse Low- and Middle-Income Countries","authors":"Renae Furl,&nbsp;Kimberly K. Scarsi,&nbsp;Harlan Sayles,&nbsp;Matt Anderson,&nbsp;Joelle Dountio Ofimboudem,&nbsp;Ethel D. Weld,&nbsp;Imam Waked,&nbsp;Asmaa Gomaa,&nbsp;Alzhraa Al-Khatib,&nbsp;Fatma Mohammed Elshobary,&nbsp;Hailemichael Desalegn,&nbsp;Henok Fisseha,&nbsp;Sunil Solomon,&nbsp;Shruti Mehta,&nbsp;Andrew Owen,&nbsp;Steve Rannard,&nbsp;David L. Thomas,&nbsp;Susan Swindells","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14031","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14031","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite available curative treatments, global rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection persist with significant burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Long-acting (LA) antiviral products are in development. This study explored the challenges and opportunities in LA-HCV treatment across three LMICs: Egypt, Ethiopia and India. The survey focused on understanding barriers and facilitators to treatment, with emphasis on LA treatment preferences. Four-hundred respondents completed a survey including demographics, HCV treatment history and preferences for injections, implants and microarray patches (MAPs) compared to pills. Overall, 78% of respondents were willing to receive injections, 43% were willing to receive implants and 55% were willing to receive MAPs. Marked heterogeneity in acceptability of non-oral treatments was observed. Among respondents who had not previously received HCV treatment, 94%, 43%, and 75% were willing to receive injections, implants, or MAPs, respectively. In contrast, among those already cured by oral HCV treatment, 61%, 40% and 43% were willing to receive injections, implants or MAPs. Other characteristics associated with willingness to receive an injection included urban residence, younger age, male sex, higher education level and taking pills for any reason (all results <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). The most common concern for all LA modalities was lack of effectiveness. Prior experience with injection or implant increased willingness to receive any LA modality (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Coupled with a point-of-care HCV diagnostic test, availability of and willingness to receive HCV treatment delivered by a LA formulation could simplify and expand treatment access in LMICs and contribute towards global HCV elimination goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.14031","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142639246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accuracy of International Guidelines in Identifying Normal Liver Histology in Chinese Patients With HBeAg-Positive Chronic HBV Infection","authors":"Yidi Jia,&nbsp;Xun Qi,&nbsp;Xueping Yu,&nbsp;Minhui Dong,&nbsp;Jingwen Wu,&nbsp;Jing Li,&nbsp;Jingjing He,&nbsp;Zhenxuan Ma,&nbsp;Xueyun Zhang,&nbsp;Yiran Xie,&nbsp;Yue Guo,&nbsp;Richeng Mao,&nbsp;Yuxian Huang,&nbsp;Fahong Li,&nbsp;Haoxiang Zhu,&nbsp;Jiming Zhang","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14024","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14024","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of various international guideline criteria for identifying HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection patients with no significant liver disease. A total of 1108 HBeAg-positive CHB patients were retrospectively enrolled. The guidelines assessed included those from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 2017, the American Association for the Study of the Liver Disease (AASLD) 2018, the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) 2015 and the Chinese Society of Hepatology (CSH) 2022. The CSH criteria demonstrated a higher proportion of patients with G0-1 and S0-1 (82.9%) compared to the EASL (75.9%), AASLD (75.3%) and APASL groups (58.8%). Additionally, the CSH criteria exhibited a significantly higher predictive value (AUC 0.782, 95% CI 0.754–0.809) than the EASL (AUC 0.765, 95% CI 0.737–0.793), AASLD (AUC 0.749, 95% CI 0.720–0.778) and APASL (AUC 0.720, 95% CI 0.690–0.750) criteria for identifying G0-1 and S0-1. Adding quantitative HBsAg levels (&gt; 10⁴ IU/mL) to the EASL, AASLD and APASL criteria improved diagnostic performance. Consequently, the CSH guideline thresholds showed higher accuracy in identifying Chinese HBeAg-positive patients with no significant liver disease compared to EASL, AASLD and APASL criteria, emphasising the importance of considering quantitative HBsAg in the evaluation of HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142623011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolution and Impact of Hepatitis A Epidemiology in Europe—Systematic Literature Review of the Last 20 Years","authors":"Anar Andani,&nbsp;Kassiani Mellou,&nbsp;Pavitra Dewda,&nbsp;Jennifer Eeuwijk,&nbsp;George Kassianos,&nbsp;Pierre Van Damme,&nbsp;Robert Steffen","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14030","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14030","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While globally hepatitis A (hepA) infections occur in 150 million people annually, European high-income countries now have a low endemicity. However, this results in a more susceptible adult population which is prone to severe illness. To determine current epidemiological characteristics, we performed a systematic literature review to assess the severity of hepA disease in the past two decades in 11 European countries (i.e., Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). Literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase between 1 January 2001 and 14 April 2021. Search terms included the disease (hepA), the 11 selected countries, the term ‘outbreaks’ and its synonyms, outcomes and terms for hepA virus circulation. In total, 43 records reported data on hepA disease outcomes. Hospitalisation rates varied between the countries, with annual rates exceeding 50% at least once in seven countries. The lowest hospitalisation rates were reported for the Netherlands (≤ 32%) and the highest for Greece (≥ 81%). Liver failure, haemorrhagic and other complications were rarely reported, and case fatality rates were low (0.03%–0.26%). Our findings are consistent with the trends observed globally. This systematic literature review highlights the need to increase awareness of hepA risks and to strengthen prevention strategies. Continuous monitoring of epidemiological data is crucial to assess which populations would most benefit from prevention, mainly with respect to future vaccination recommendations.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.14030","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142623017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Minimising Risk in CHB Management: A Zero-Risk Approach","authors":"Yu Lei,&nbsp;Almuthana Mohamed,&nbsp;Patrick T. Kennedy","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14034","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14034","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Hepatitis B infection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and represents a major global health problem. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 296 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, resulting in an estimated 820,000 deaths per year, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [&lt;span&gt;1&lt;/span&gt;]. Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine, there are still an estimated 1.5 million new infections each year. Only 8% of the eligible population, and less than 3% of the total HBV-infected population, were reported to be on treatment in 2022. This special supplement considers the latest evidence for changing CHB management and what we refer to as a zero-risk approach to ensure improved disease outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The WHO has set an ambitious target for HBV elimination by 2030, aiming to reduce the number of new cases of hepatitis B infection by 90% and its related mortality by 65% [&lt;span&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;]. This will be achieved using a strategy focused on a series of interventions. A 2022 modelling study suggested that 258 million individuals are still living with CHB. However, one of the major gains towards the WHO elimination targets is that 85% of infants globally have been vaccinated against HBV, with current global HBV prevalence among children aged 5 years and younger of only 0.7% [&lt;span&gt;3&lt;/span&gt;]. In this special supplement, Von Cuang et al. reported on the latest developments towards HBV global elimination. Although major progress has been made to control the burden of CHB globally, this progress has been made mainly in high-income countries when compared to low- and middle-income areas with higher HBV prevalence, such as Africa, confirming geographical disparities in the work towards hepatitis B elimination [&lt;span&gt;4-8&lt;/span&gt;].&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Several interventions to accelerate HBV elimination have been adopted in most countries and, ultimately, should help achieve the HBV global elimination targets. Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) including timely hepatitis B birth dose vaccine (HepB-BD) and antiviral prophylaxis in pregnant women should be improved further to decrease infection rates. Case finding, diagnosis and treatment, as well as the management of children and adolescents, are crucial interventions to meet the proposed targets [&lt;span&gt;9&lt;/span&gt;]. Moreover, strengthening data collection systems should be established to age-stratified serosurveys for the prevalence of HBV [&lt;span&gt;10, 11&lt;/span&gt;]. Establishing funding and political support in resource-limited countries is also an important and challenging strategy for achieving global elimination [&lt;span&gt;12, 13&lt;/span&gt;]. As reported by Von Cuang, these effective interventions could make global HBV elimination possible in those regions with significant disparities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hepatitis B virus is a non-cytopathic virus, and the cross-talk between the virus and the human immune res","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"31 S2","pages":"56-60"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.14034","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142604124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-Term Follow-Up of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms After Sustained Virological Response to Interferon-Free and Interferon-Based Hepatitis C Virus Treatment","authors":"Meike Dirks,&nbsp;Ann-Katrin Hennemann,&nbsp;Gerrit M. Grosse,&nbsp;Anika Beer,&nbsp;Henning Pflugrad,&nbsp;Kim Haag,&nbsp;Ramona Schuppner,&nbsp;Katja Deterding,&nbsp;Markus Cornberg,&nbsp;Heiner Wedemeyer,&nbsp;Karin Weissenborn","doi":"10.1111/jvh.14033","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jvh.14033","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can be associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms like fatigue and cognitive impairment, independent of the liver status. The present study aims to assess changes in the pattern and extent of neuropsychological symptoms after successful treatment with interferon (IFN)-based and IFN-free therapy. HCV-infected patients who underwent neuropsychological assessment in previous studies were invited to a follow-up examination. Patients were grouped according to the treatment status: Sustained virological response (SVR) after IFN treatment (IFN SVR, <i>n</i> = 14) or after therapy with direct acting antivirals (DAA SVR, <i>n</i> = 28) or ongoing HCV infection (HCV RNA+, <i>n</i> = 11). A group of 33 healthy controls served as reference. Patients completed self-report questionnaires addressing health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mood and sleep quality and a neuropsychological test battery including tests of memory and attention (Luria's list of words, PSE test, cancelling “d” test, Word–Figure–Memory Test and computer-based test battery for the assessment of attention [TAP]). At baseline, all three patient groups had worse fatigue, depression, anxiety and HRQoL scores compared to healthy controls. Longitudinal analysis revealed that fatigue and mood slightly improved in all patient groups over time, while HRQoL improved in SVR patients but not in HCV RNA+ patients. Memory test results improved significantly in all patient groups, irrespective of their virological status. In contrast, the attention test results showed no clear change from baseline to follow-up. Our data can be considered as a hint that HCV eradication—independent of therapy regimen—does not substantially ameliorate neuropsychiatric symptoms in HCV-afflicted patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":17762,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Viral Hepatitis","volume":"32 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jvh.14033","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142580986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}