Update on Hepatitis C Epidemiology: Unaware and Untreated Infected Population Could Be the Key to Elimination

Stasi, Cristina; Silvestri, Caterina; Voller, Fabio

doi:10.1007/s42399-020-00588-3

Cited by 67 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) affects over 71 million people worldwide; according to the World Health Organization (WHO), less than 5% are aware of their status [ 1 ]. The death toll due to viral hepatitis is still high, owing to its evolution to cirrhosis and its complications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Telemedicine Chronic Viral Hepatitis C Treatment during the Lockdown Period in Romania: A Pilot Study

Doica

Florescu

Oancea

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The COVID-19 pandemic is currently delaying the process of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) eradication, since most of the chronic diseases are neglected. Thus, there is a need for alternative programs for HCV therapy implementation and disease monitoring. Our aim was to provide a multidisciplinary approach, so that HCV-infected patients from distant locations may benefit from HCV antivirals during the COVID-19 outbreak and within the lockdown period in Romania. Previously diagnosed HCV patients willing to participate in this telemedicine pilot study were included. Patient characteristics and medical adherence were assessed and compared to the year preceding the pandemic. We proposed a multidisciplinary approach by using a telemedicine program for HCV therapy monitoring. Patients also received a satisfaction questionnaire after delivering the sustained virologic response (SVR) result. A total of 41 patients agreed to participate in this study. The medication adherence was 100% for patients included in the telemedicine group, with a statistically significant difference from the medication adherence of the patients treated in 2019. The satisfaction item score was 4.92 out of 5 and our results (r = −0.94, p < 0.0001) suggested that older patients embraced the telemedicine program less, but with the same success in terms of SVR (100%) and medication adherence (100%). Our pilot study offers the first example of a telemedicine program in Romania for HCV therapeutic management. During the lockdown period, telemedicine has served as a reliable tool and novel alternative for conventional monitoring of patients treated with direct antiviral agents and should be further considered even following the pandemic.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Telemedicine Chronic Viral Hepatitis C Treatment during the Lockdown Period in Romania: A Pilot Study

Doica

Florescu

Oancea

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…However, other risk factors should not be minimized either; for example, the unapparent parenteral transmission, through shared nail clippers, rakes, and manicure scissors can also be the primary source of viral infection[ 95 ]. Therefore, it is now recommended to perform universal one-time in-life routine HCV screening for all adults[ 15 ].…”

Section: The Efforts To Construct Micro and Macro-elimination Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

Progress and challenges in the comprehensive management of chronic viral hepatitis: Key ways to achieve the elimination

Tijera¹,

Servín-Caamaño²,

Servín-Abad³

2021

WJG

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Chronic viral hepatitis is a significant health problem throughout the world, which already represents high annual mortality. By 2040, chronic viral hepatitis due to virus B and virus C and their complications cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma will be more deadly than malaria, vitellogenesis-inhibiting hormone, and tuberculosis altogether. In this review, we analyze the global impact of chronic viral hepatitis with a focus on the most vulnerable groups, the goals set by the World Health Organization for the year 2030, and the key points to achieve them, such as timely access to antiviral treatment of direct-acting antiviral, which represents the key to achieving hepatitis C virus elimination. Likewise, we review the strategies to prevent transmission and achieve control of hepatitis B virus. Finally, we address the impact that the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has had on implementing elimination strategies and the advantages of implementing telemedicine programs.

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“…HCV infection is a significant global health burden; it is estimated that 71 million people globally have a chronic HCV infection [5]. HCV causes both acute and chronic hepatitis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An in vitro study of an Artocarpus heterophyllus substance as a hepatitis C antiviral and its combination with current anti-HCV drugs

Permanasari

Aoki-Utsubo

Wahyuni

et al. 2021

BMC Complement Med Ther

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Background Current therapy of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has dramatically improved the sustained virologic response (SVR) of affected patients; however, treatment with DAAs remains expensive, and drug-resistant HCV variants remain a threat. As a result, there is still a need to continue to develop affordable and effective drugs for the treatment of HCV. Previously, we have demonstrated that a crude extract from Artocarpus heterophyllus leaves is a potential anti-HCV candidate. In this study, we have further purified this crude extract, examined which sub-fraction possesses the highest antiviral activity, and then explored its efficacy at different HCV life cycle stages. We also assessed synergistic antiviral effects between the A. heterophyllus extract and commercially available anti-HCV drugs. Methods We used vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to fractionate a dichloromethane extract of A. heterophyllus leaves. We then examined the anti-HCV activity of the fractions using HCV genotype 2a, JFH1a; the antiviral mode of action was determined by exploring adding the treatments at different times. We examined the antiviral effects on the viral entry stage through a virucidal activity test, viral adsorption examination, and pretreatment of cells with the drug. The effects on the post-viral entry stage were determined by the levels of HCV protein expression and HCV RNA expression in infected cells. Results Through activity guided purification, we identified the sub-fraction FR3T3 as possessing the most robust anti-HCV activity with an IC50 value of 4.7 ± 1.0 μg/mL. Mode-of-action analysis revealed that FR3T3 inhibited post-viral entry stages such as HCV NS3 protein expression and HCV RNA replication with marginal effects on the viral entry stage. Thin-layer Chromatography (TLC) indicated that FR3T3 contained terpenoids and chlorophyll-related compounds. We also found a synergistic antiviral activity when the DCM extract of A. heterohyllus was used in combination therapy with commercial anti-HCV drugs; Ribavirin, Simeprevir, Cyclosporin A. Conclusions The extract of A. heterophyllus and its sub-fraction, FR3T3, presented here have anti-HCV activities and could be candidate drugs for add-on-therapy for treatment of chronic HCV infections.

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Update on Hepatitis C Epidemiology: Unaware and Untreated Infected Population Could Be the Key to Elimination

Cited by 67 publications

References 33 publications

Telemedicine Chronic Viral Hepatitis C Treatment during the Lockdown Period in Romania: A Pilot Study

Telemedicine Chronic Viral Hepatitis C Treatment during the Lockdown Period in Romania: A Pilot Study

Progress and challenges in the comprehensive management of chronic viral hepatitis: Key ways to achieve the elimination

An in vitro study of an Artocarpus heterophyllus substance as a hepatitis C antiviral and its combination with current anti-HCV drugs

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