Global prevalence of occult hepatitis C virus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Occult hepatitis C infection (OCI) is characterized by the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in the liver, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and/or ultracentrifuged serum in the absence of detectable HCV-RNA in serum. OCI has been described in several categories of populations including hemodialysis patients, patients with a sustained virological response, immunocompromised individuals, patients with abnormal hepatic function, and apparently healthy subjects.

Aim: To highlight the global prevalence of OCI.

Methods: We performed a systematic and comprehensive literature search in the following 4 electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, Global Index Medicus, and Web of Science up to 6th May 2021 to retrieve relevant studies published in the field. Included studies were unrestricted population categories with known RNA status in serum, PBMC, liver tissue and/or ultracentrifuged serum. Data were extracted independently by each author and the Hoy et al tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. We used the random-effect meta-analysis model to estimate the proportions of OCI and their 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). The Cochran's Q-test and the I ² test statistics were used to assess heterogeneity between studies. Funnel plot and Egger test were used to examine publication bias. R software version 4.1.0 was used for all analyses.

Results: The electronic search resulted in 3950 articles. We obtained 102 prevalence data from 85 included studies. The pooled prevalence of seronegative OCI was estimated to be 9.61% (95%CI: 6.84-12.73) with substantial heterogeneity [I² = 94.7% (95%CI: 93.8%-95.4%), P < 0.0001]. Seropositive OCI prevalence was estimated to be 13.39% (95%CI: 7.85-19.99) with substantial heterogeneity [I ² = 93.0% (90.8%-94.7%)]. Higher seronegative OCI prevalence was found in Southern Europe and Northern Africa, and in patients with abnormal liver function, hematological disorders, and kidney diseases. Higher seropositive OCI prevalence was found in Southern Europe, Northern America, and Northern Africa.

Conclusion: In conclusion, in the present study, it appears that the burden of OCI is high and variable across the different regions and population categories. Further studies on OCI are needed to assess the transmissibility, clinical significance, long-term outcome, and need for treatment.