Outcome in a hepatitis C (genotype 1b) single source outbreak in Germany—a 25-year multicenter study

Liver fibrosis progression at autopsy in injecting drug users infected by hepatitis C: A longitudinal long-term cohort study

“…The median fibrosis progression rate of 0.07 per year observed in this cohort was similar to or lower than reported in other studies of patients with chronic HCV-infection [16][17][18][19][20], but the progression rate was higher than in studies of young females who contracted an HCVinfection accidentally as a result of infected anti-D immunoglobulin in Ireland and Germany [5,21]. In a meta-analysis of the stage-specific fibrosis progression rate in different populations of HCV-patients, the mean progression rate among the IDUs were: F0-F1 0.116, F1-F2 0.085, F2-F3 0.085 and F3-F4 0.130 [20].…”

“…The risk of serious illness from liver disease increases with age [2]. There are few longitudinal studies on HCV-induced liver fibrosis with established time-point of HCV exposure, and the great majority have been performed among patients infected through medical procedures such as transfusions and medical injections with infected syringes or sera containing HCV [3][4][5][6][7]. In Western countries the main cause of HCV-infection has been the use of contaminated syringes and needles among IDUs.…”

Evaluation of liver disease progression in the German hepatitis C virus (1b)-contaminated anti-D cohort at 35 years after infection

“…8 Therefore the well-documented iatrogenic singlesource HCV outbreaks in recipients of HCVcontaminated anti-D immunoglobulin (Ig) in Ireland (1977Ireland ( -1978 and Germany (1978Germany ( -1979 provided valuable insight into the acute and chronic course of HCV infection in the past. [9][10][11][12] We have previously reported on the outcome of the German HCV (1b)-contaminated anti-D cohort at 20 and 25 years after infection and demonstrated a very low cirrhosis rate of only 0.5% in the overall cohort at 25 years after infection. 11,12 The aim of the present 35-year followup study was to reevaluate the liver disease progression in this unique cohort after another decade of data accrual in our prospective, community-based, multicenter study.…”

“…[9][10][11][12] We have previously reported on the outcome of the German HCV (1b)-contaminated anti-D cohort at 20 and 25 years after infection and demonstrated a very low cirrhosis rate of only 0.5% in the overall cohort at 25 years after infection. 11,12 The aim of the present 35-year followup study was to reevaluate the liver disease progression in this unique cohort after another decade of data accrual in our prospective, community-based, multicenter study. We also report on the effect of antiviral treatment on liver disease progression and survival probability.…”

Liver disease progression in hepatitis C virus carriers with normal alanine aminotransferase levels

“…3 In their first study 4 describing the 20-year follow-up of over 1,000 women infected in East Germany in January 1979 by contaminated anti-D immune globulin, the researchers reported that 26 patients should be considered as true healthy carriers (i.e., normal liver, normal ALT, and persistent HCV viremia). At 25-year follow-up, 5 only 11 women had remained in a healthy state, whereas the others had progressed to chronic hepatitis C (CHC). However, in this third evaluation after 35-year follow-up, 1 no mention has been made about the histological and clinical status of these otherwise healthy, HCV-infected women.…”