A cross-sectional study of real life data of HCV from Turkey south region.

INTRODUCTION This study investigated demographic characteristics and the prevalence of viremia among anti-HCV-positive patients. METHODOLOGY Hospital records of adult patients with anti-HCV positivity between June 2016 and October 2018 were screened retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, genotype distribution, history of injection drug use (IDU), treatment data of HCV RNA-positive patients were investigated. RESULTS The rate of anti-HCV seropositivity was 1.7% and 54.5% of these were viremic. 69.5% of the 869 viremic patients were male. The mean age was 62 ± 15 (18-95) years for women and 42 ± 19 (18-90) years for men (p < 0.0001). 42.7% of these patients had IDU history. Regarding age, patients with IDU history accounted for 95% of the 18-29 age group. The most common genotype in patients younger than 40 was genotype 3, and genotype 1b in those older than 40. Only 52% of viremic patients had received DAA therapy. Also, 62.2% of patients aged < 40 and 36% of patients > 40 did not receive treatment (p < 0.0001). The SVR12 rate in patients receiving DAA treatment and follow-up was 100%; SVR24 was 99.5%. CONCLUSIONS A shift in the demographic structure of HCV-infected patients due to the changing trends of the HCV transmission mode was observed in this study. On the other hand, the proportion of patients who received DAA therapy was low. A substantial proportion of untreated patients were young with a history of IDU. This indicates that without strategies targeting the patients, the patient load due to HCV-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma may persist in the future.

[1]  N. Örmeci,et al.  Evaluation of Risk Factors Associated with HBsAg and Anti-HCV Seropositivity: Results of a Nationwide Population Based Epidemiological Survey Study in Turkey , 2019, Mediterranean Journal of Infection Microbes and Antimicrobials.

[2]  T. Hallett,et al.  Scaling up prevention and treatment towards the elimination of hepatitis C: a global mathematical model , 2019, The Lancet.

[3]  N. Terrault Hepatitis C elimination: challenges with under-diagnosis and under-treatment , 2019, F1000Research.

[4]  J. Leung,et al.  Global, regional, and country‐level estimates of hepatitis C infection among people who have recently injected drugs , 2018, Addiction.

[5]  G. Dore,et al.  Direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C among people who use or inject drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis. , 2018, The lancet. Gastroenterology & hepatology.

[6]  R. Taherkhani,et al.  Global elimination of hepatitis C virus infection: Progresses and the remaining challenges , 2017, World journal of hepatology.

[7]  J. Rockstroh,et al.  Elimination of HCV as a public health concern among people who inject drugs by 2030 – What will it take to get there? , 2017, Journal of the International AIDS Society.

[8]  M. Çetin,et al.  Hepatitis C infection and other drug‐related harms among inpatients who injected drugs in Turkey , 2017, Journal of viral hepatitis.

[9]  Ibrahim Abubakar,et al.  Impact of Hepatitis C Treatment as Prevention for People Who Inject Drugs is sensitive to contact network structure , 2017, Scientific Reports.

[10]  Gamal Esmat,et al.  Global prevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus infection in 2015: a modelling study. , 2017, The lancet. Gastroenterology & hepatology.

[11]  A. Mangia,et al.  Efficacy and Safety of Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Receiving Opioid Substitution Therapy: Analysis of Phase 3 ASTRAL Trials. , 2016, Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

[12]  A. Petruzziello,et al.  Global epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection: An up-date of the distribution and circulation of hepatitis C virus genotypes , 2016, World journal of gastroenterology.

[13]  D. De Angelis,et al.  Hepatitis C virus treatment as prevention in people who inject drugs: testing the evidence , 2015, Current opinion in infectious diseases.

[14]  U. Akarca,et al.  Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections and risk factors in Turkey: a fieldwork TURHEP study. , 2015, Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

[15]  Jason Grebely,et al.  Mixed HCV infection and reinfection in people who inject drugs—impact on therapy , 2015, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &Hepatology.

[16]  Matt Anderson,et al.  European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction , 2014 .

[17]  O. Ergonul,et al.  Hepatitis C prevalence in Turkey: estimation through meta-analysis , 2014 .

[18]  G. Esmat,et al.  The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with today's treatment paradigm , 2014, Journal of viral hepatitis.

[19]  Y. Taşova,et al.  Changing Epidemiology of Chronic Hepatitis C in Adana , 2014 .

[20]  M. Demir,et al.  Hepatitis C virus genotypes in Adana and Antakya regions of Turkey. , 2014, Turkish journal of medical sciences.

[21]  Louisa Degenhardt,et al.  Global epidemiology of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in people who inject drugs: results of systematic reviews , 2011, The Lancet.

[22]  S. Sauleda,et al.  The changing epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in Europe. , 2008, Journal of hepatology.

[23]  S. Ramia,et al.  Distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in the Middle East. , 2006, International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

[24]  K. Demır,et al.  Risk Factors for the Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the Turkish Population , 2006, Digestive Diseases and Sciences.

[25]  H. Senturk,et al.  Hepatitis C Virus Risk Factors in the Turkish Community , 2005, Digestive Diseases and Sciences.