Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection according to the year of birth: identification of risk groups

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening according to the year of birth is recommended is some countries based on epidemiological data. The aim of this study was to analyze anti-HCV prevalence among people born between 1905 and 2015 in Argentina. Patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 2001 to 2015, who had a determination of anti-HCV, were included. Of 22,079 patients analyzed, 1,152 (5.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.9%-5.5%) patients showed positive anti-HCV and 729 (3.3%; 95% CI: 3.1%-3.5%) patients showed detectable viremia. Three risk groups were identified (HCV prevalence): low-risk group-outpatient clinics/emergencies (2.8%); intermediate-risk group-in-patients (8%); and high-risk group-dialysis/transplants (27.2%). In the low-risk group, being born in 1973 or before was identified as a cut-off value for the risk of anti-HCV acquisition (area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve: 75.1 [95% asymptotic CI: 0.732-0.770; p < 0.001]). Ninety-one patients born after 1973 (0.8%) showed positive anti-HCV versus 457 individuals born in 1973 or before (5.8%), p < 0.001. In this group, positive anti-HCV was observed in 252 females (2.1%) and 296 males (4.1%), p < 0.001. In a multivariate analysis adjusted for gender, alanine-aminotransferase levels and HIV coinfection, being born in 1973 or before was independently identified as a risk for positive anti-HCV (adjusted odds ratio: 14.234 [95% CI: 9.993-20.277]; p < 0.001). People born in 1973 or before without other risk factors should be included in screening programs to link the highest possible number of HCV-infected patients to appropriate care and treatment.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infection among patients undergoing haemodialysis in Buenos Aires, Argentina

“…With regard to HCV, almost a quarter of analysed patients were positive. This prevalence is within the previously reported range in our country for patients undergoing dialysis and it is significantly higher than that described in the general population [13,14,21,22]. This situation is repeated all over the world, with people who attend HD centres being a high-risk group for HCV infection [2,6].…”

“…Finally, ALT and AST were higher in patients infected with HCV. Thus, patients with HCV showed ALT 24 IU −1 (15-41) and AST 21 IU l −1 (14-32), whereas the levels for non-HCV infected patients were 14 IU l −1 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) for ALT and 14 IUl −1 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19) for AST (P <0.001 for both ALT and AST).…”

“…There was no association between HBV detection and plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Thus, subjects infected with HBV showed ALT 15 IU l −1 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26) and AST 17 IU l −1 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23), whereas the corresponding figures among non-HBV infected patients were 15 IU l −1 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24) for ALT, and 15 IU l −1 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)…”

“…The Argentine Chronic Dialysis Registry reports a prevalence of 1.02, 2.40, and 0.91 % for HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV, respectively [1]. Other studies conducted on different dialysis populations from Argentina showed a significantly higher prevalence for HCV, ranging from 10.6-38.0 % [11][12][13][14]. Disparities in reported HCV prevalence rates as well as a paucity of data for HBV and HIV warrant the present research work.…”

Hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection: Prevalence of NS5A and NS5B resistance‐associated substitutions in naïve patients from Argentina

“…However, limited information is available on NS5A and NS5B RASs prevalence in Argentina. This scenario gives rise to big controversy about the need for testing RASs in HCV genotype 1 (HCV‐1) infected patients, which represent more than 70% of HCV cases from this country …”