SUMMARY. Detailed, country-specific epidemiological data are needed to characterize the burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection around the world. With new treatment options available, policy makers and public health officials must reconsider national strategies for infection control. In this study of 15 countries, published and unpublished data on HCV prevalence, viraemia, genotype, age and gender distribution, liver transplants and diagnosis and treatment rates were gathered from the literature and validated by expert consensus in each country. Viraemic prevalence in this study ranged from 0.2% in Iran and Lebanon to 4.2% in Pakistan. The largest viraemic populations were in Pakistan (7 001 000 cases) and Indonesia (3 187 000 cases). Injection drug use (IDU) and a historically unsafe blood supply were major risk factors in most countries. Diagnosis, treatment and liver transplant rates varied widely between countries. However, comparison across countries was difficult as the number of cases changes over time. Access to reliable data on measures such as these is critical for the development of future strategies to manage the disease burden.

Background and AimNon‐alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) is a disease that ranges from simple steatosis and can further lead to chronic pancreatitis and possible pancreatic cancer development. Its exact pathogenesis and impact on clinical practice are still largely unknown. Pancreatic cancer is still the most lethal malignancy in the world. Studies about the relationship between NAFPD and pancreatic cancer are still lacking. This study aims to find the possible role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) examination as a screening tool in NAFPD patients based on EUS examination among pancreatic cancer patients.MethodsEUS hospital data were collected within a 2‐year period, and all patients who underwent EUS procedures were analyzed. Pancreatic malignancy was diagnosed based on imaging and tumor markers and cytopathology using the endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) procedure. Patients with pre‐existing pancreatic diseases, significant alcohol consumption, or other primary cancer with metastasis to the pancreas were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0.ResultsIn total, 162 patients (75 females and 87 males) were recruited for database analysis.^ Pancreatic malignancy was found in 43 (26.5%) patients, whereas fatty pancreas was found in 53 (32.7%) patients, and this was commonly found among pancreatic cancer patients.^ Based on logistic regression analysis, factors such as age, gender, diabetes, and chronic pancreatitis were not found to be significant risk factors for pancreatic malignancy where fatty pancreas is the only significant risk factor for pancreatic cancer (odds ratio: 18.027 [95% CI: 7.288–44.588]).ConclusionPrevalence of NAFPD among pancreatic cancer patients is high. Future studies can be conducted to show whether EUS can be considered a screening tool for the early detection of pancreatic malignancy in NAFPD patients; a cohort prospective study might also be needed to show clear causality between fatty pancreas and pancreatic cancer.

AIM:To identify the distribution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) subgenotype and basal core promoter (BCP) mutations among patients with HBV-associated liver disease in Indonesia. METHODS:Patients with chronic hepatitis (CH, n = 61), liver cirrhosis (LC, n = 62), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 48) were included in this study.HBV subgenotype was identified based on S or preS gene sequence, and mutations in the HBx gene including the overlapping BCP region were examined by direct sequencing. RESULTS:HBV genotype B (subgenotypes B2, B3, B4, B5 and B7) the major genotype in the samples, accounted for 75.4%, 71.0% and 75.0% of CH, LC and HCC patients, respectively, while the genotype C (subgenotypes C1, C2 and C3) was detected in 24.6%, 29.0%, and 25.0% of CH, LC, and HCC patients, respectively. Subgenotypes B3 (84.9%) and C1 (82.2%) were the main subgenotype in HBV genotype B and C, respectively. Serotype adw2 (84.9%) and adrq+ (89.4%) were the most prevalent in HBV genotype B and C, respectively. Double mutation (A1762T/G1764A) in the BCP was significantly higher in LC (59.7%) and HCC (54.2%) than in CH (19.7%), suggesting that this mutation was associated with severity of liver disease. The T1753V was also higher in LC (46.8%), but lower in HCC (22.9%) and CH (18.0%), suggesting that this mutation may be an indicator of cirrhosis. CONCLUSION:HBV genotype B/B3 and C/C1 are the major genotypes in Indonesia. Mutations in BCP, such as A1762T/G1764A and T1753V, might have an association with manifestations of liver disease.