Nonpharmaceutical interventions reduce the incidence and mortality of COVID-19: A study based on the survey from the International COVID-19 Research Network (ICRN).

The recently emerged novel coronavirus, "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)," caused a highly contagious disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has severely damaged the world's most developed countries and has turned into a major threat for low- and middle-income countries. Since its emergence in late 2019, medical interventions have been substantial, and most countries relied on public health measures collectively known as nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). We aimed to centralize the accumulative knowledge of NPIs against COVID-19 for each country under one worldwide consortium. International COVID-19 Research Network collaborators developed a cross-sectional online survey to assess the implications of NPIs and sanitary supply on the incidence and mortality of COVID-19. The survey was conducted between January 1 and February 1, 2021, and participants from 92 countries/territories completed it. The association between NPIs, sanitation supplies, and incidence and mortality were examined by multivariate regression, with the log-transformed value of population as an offset value. The majority of countries/territories applied several preventive strategies, including social distancing (100.0%), quarantine (100.0%), isolation (98.9%), and school closure (97.8%). Individual-level preventive measures such as personal hygiene (100.0%) and wearing facial masks (94.6% at hospitals; 93.5% at mass transportation; 91.3% in mass gathering facilities) were also frequently applied. Quarantine at a designated place was negatively associated with incidence and mortality compared to home quarantine. Isolation at a designated place was also associated with reduced mortality compared to home isolation. Recommendations to use sanitizer for personal hygiene reduced incidence compared to the recommendation to use soap. Deprivation of masks was associated with increased incidence. Higher incidence and mortality were found in countries/territories with higher economic levels. Mask deprivation was pervasive regardless of economic level. NPIs against COVID-19 such as using sanitizer, quarantine, and isolation can decrease the incidence and mortality of COVID-19.

The global case fatality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 by continents and national income: A meta-analysis.

The aim of this study is to provide a more accurate representation of COVID-19's case fatality rate (CFR) by performing meta-analyses by continents and income, and by comparing the result with pooled estimates. We used multiple worldwide data sources on COVID-19 for every country reporting COVID-19 cases. On the basis of data, we performed random and fixed meta-analyses for CFR of COVID-19 by continents and income according to each individual calendar date. CFR was estimated based on the different geographical regions and levels of income using three models: pooled estimates, fixed- and random-model. In Asia, all three types of CFR initially remained approximately between 2.0% and 3.0%. In the case of pooled estimates and the fixed model results, CFR increased to 4.0%, by then gradually decreasing, while in the case of random-model, CFR remained under 2.0%. Similarly, in Europe, initially, the two types of CFR peaked at 9.0% and 10.0%, respectively. The random-model results showed an increase near 5.0%. In high-income countries, pooled estimates and fixed-model showed gradually increasing trends with a final pooled estimates and random-model reached about 8.0% and 4.0%, respectively. In middle-income, the pooled estimates and fixed-model have gradually increased reaching up to 4.5%. in low-income countries, CFRs remained similar between 1.5% and 3.0%. Our study emphasizes that COVID-19 CFR is not a fixed or static value. Rather, it is a dynamic estimate that changes with time, population, socioeconomic factors, and the mitigatory efforts of individual countries.

APASL clinical practice guideline on hepatitis B reactivation related to the use of immunosuppressive therapy.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Hepatitis B reactivation related to the use of immunosuppressive therapy remains a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality in hepatitis B endemic Asia-Pacific region. This clinical practice guidelines aim to assist clinicians in all disciplines involved in the use of immunosuppressive therapy to effectively prevent and manage hepatitis B reactivation. METHODS: All publications related to hepatitis B reactivation with the use of immunosuppressive therapy since 1975 were reviewed. Advice from key opinion leaders in member countries/administrative regions of Asian-Pacific Association for the study of the liver was collected and synchronized. Immunosuppressive therapy was risk-stratified according to its reported rate of hepatitis B reactivation. RECOMMENDATIONS: We recommend the necessity to screen all patients for hepatitis B prior to the initiation of immunosuppressive therapy and to administer pre-emptive nucleos(t)ide analogues to those patients with a substantial risk of hepatitis and acute-on-chronic liver failure due to hepatitis B reactivation.

Efficacy and safety of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir in 5,028 Mongolian patients infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) shows high efficacy and safety in patients with genotype 1-hepatitis C virus (HCV). We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of LDV/SOF in real-world Mongolian patients. METHODS: Between 2015 to 2019, 23 (0.5%) and 5,005 patients (99.5%) with genotype 1a and 1b HCV, respectively, were treated with a fixed-dose tablet containing 90 mg ledipasvir and 400 mg sofosbuvir for 12 weeks, and 81 patients (1.6%) with previous experience of interferon (IFN)-based treatment received additional 1,000 mg ribavirin. HCV RNA was measured at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the first dose to determine rapid virologic response, end of treatment response (ETR), and sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after end of treatment (SVR12). RESULTS: Most patients (n=5,008; 99.6%) achieved ETR and SVR12 without virologic relapse. Patients with genotype 1a showed low rates of ETR and SVR12 in only 16 patients (69.6%). There was no significant difference in SVR12 rate between patients regardless of IFN experience (n=81; 1.6%), cirrhosis (n=1,151; 22.9%), HCV RNA >6×106 IU/mL (n=866; 17.2%), or liver stiffness >9.6 kPa (n=1,721; 34.2%) (100.0%, 99.3%, 99.4%, and 99.4%, respectively). No severe adverse events (AEs) were reported, and there was no dose reduction or interruption due to AE. The most common AEs were headache (n=472; 9.4%), fatigue (n=306; 6.2%), abdominal discomfort (n=295; 5.9%), and skin rash (n=141; 2.8%). CONCLUSION: LDV/SOF showed high efficacy and safety for patients with genotype 1, especially 1b HCV, in Mongolia. The real-world data might be applicable to patients in other Asian-Pacific countries.

Pre-existing liver disease is associated with poor outcome in patients with SARS CoV2 infection; The APCOLIS Study (APASL COVID-19 Liver Injury Spectrum Study).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: COVID-19 is a dominant pulmonary disease, with multisystem involvement, depending upon comorbidities. Its profile in patients with pre-existing chronic liver disease (CLD) is largely unknown. We studied the liver injury patterns of SARS-Cov-2 in CLD patients, with or without cirrhosis. METHODS: Data was collected from 13 Asian countries on patients with CLD, known or newly diagnosed, with confirmed COVID-19. RESULTS: Altogether, 228 patients [185 CLD without cirrhosis and 43 with cirrhosis] were enrolled, with comorbidities in nearly 80%. Metabolism associated fatty liver disease (113, 61%) and viral etiology (26, 60%) were common. In CLD without cirrhosis, diabetes [57.7% vs 39.7%, OR = 2.1 (1.1-3.7), p = 0.01] and in cirrhotics, obesity, [64.3% vs. 17.2%, OR = 8.1 (1.9-38.8), p = 0.002] predisposed more to liver injury than those without these. Forty three percent of CLD without cirrhosis presented as acute liver injury and 20% cirrhotics presented with either acute-on-chronic liver failure [5 (11.6%)] or acute decompensation [4 (9%)]. Liver related complications increased (p < 0.05) with stage of liver disease; a Child-Turcotte Pugh score of 9 or more at presentation predicted high mortality [AUROC 0.94, HR = 19.2 (95 CI 2.3-163.3), p < 0.001, sensitivity 85.7% and specificity 94.4%). In decompensated cirrhotics, the liver injury was progressive in 57% patients, with 43% mortality. Rising bilirubin and AST/ALT ratio predicted mortality among cirrhosis patients. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-Cov-2 infection causes significant liver injury in CLD patients, decompensating one fifth of cirrhosis, and worsening the clinical status of the already decompensated. The CLD patients with diabetes and obesity are more vulnerable and should be closely monitored.

Resistance-associated substitution and ledipasvir/sofosbuvir therapy in Mongolian chronic hepatitis C patients.

BACKGROUND: Mongolia has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide. Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) was introduced to Mongolia since 2016 for HCV eradication. It has been reported that HCV resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) would affect the effectiveness of LDV/SOF in western chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. We thus investigated the effectiveness of LDV/SOF and the impact of RAS on the treatment outcome in Mongolian CHC patients. METHODS: Patients with genotype (GT) 1b HCV infection were prospectively enrolled in Mongolia and treated with LDV/SOF for 12 weeks. The proportion of pre-treatment NS5A Y93H RAS in viral quasispecies was measured with next-generation sequencing. The endpoint of LDV/SOF effectiveness was sustained virological response at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12). RESULTS: A total of 94 CHC patients were evaluated. The baseline Y93H proportion was <1% in 74 patients, 1-15% in 7, 15-50% in 2, and ≥50% in 11. All patients completed 12-week LDV/SOF treatment and the SVR rate was 90.4%. The rate of failure to achieve SVR12 for patients with Y93H < 1%, 1-15%, and ≥15% were 0%, 14.3%, and 61.5%, respectively (p for trend = 0.001). In univariable analysis, older age, baseline alanine transaminase level <40 U/mL, and a higher proportion of Y93H were associated with treatment failure. In multivariable analysis, only a higher proportion of Y93H was associated with treatment failure (p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: LDV/SOF therapy achieves a high SVR rate in Mongolian CHC GT1b patients without baseline Y93H RAS. A higher proportion of Y93H may severely undermine the effectiveness of LDV/SOF.

Author Correction: Comparison between chronic hepatitis B patients with untreated immune-tolerant phase vs. those with virological response by antivirals.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Transarterial Chemoembolization in Treatment-Naïve and Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity-Matched Outcome Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) improves the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, TACE treatment outcomes of patients with treatment-naïve HCC (TN-HCC) and those with recurrent HCC after curative resection (R-HCC) have not yet been compared. METHODS: We recruited 448 patients with TN-HCC, and 275 patients with R-HCC treated with TACE as first-line anti-cancer treatment. RESULTS: At first TACE, patients with TN-HCC showed a significantly lower proportion of male gender (74.9% vs. 84.3%), higher proportion of liver cirrhosis (61.9% vs. 49.3%), higher aspartate aminotransferase (median 48 vs. 31 IU/L), alanine aminotransferase (median 38 vs. 26 IU/L), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (median 96.6 vs. 7.7 ng/mL), and total bilirubin (mean 1.0 vs. 0.8 mg/dL) levels, longer prothrombin time (median 1.05 vs. 1.01 international normalized ratio), higher tumor number (mean 2.1 vs. 1.7), larger tumor size (median 3.1 vs. 1.6 cm), and lower proportion of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage 0-A (55.6% vs. 71.9%) than patients with R-HCC (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that TACE for TN-HCC (vs. R-HCC) was an independent predictor of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.328; P = 0.024) with AFP level and tumor number (all P < 0.05). However, treatment outcomes between TN-HCC and R-HCC became statistically similar after propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis using liver cirrhosis, tumor size, and multiple tumors (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the similar TACE treatment outcomes observed with the PSM analysis, the current TACE treatment guideline for patients with TN-HCC might similarly be applied for patients with R-HCC.

Prognosis of Untreated Minimally Active Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Comparison With Virological Responders by Antivirals.

OBJECTIVES: Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA > 2,000 IU/mL is associated with higher risk of disease progression. However, without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or cirrhosis, nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUCs) are recommended only for patients with elevated serum HBV-DNA and alanine aminotransferase ≥2 × upper normal limit. METHODS: We evaluated prognosis of untreated minimally active (MA) hepatitis patients (defined as HBV-DNA > 2,000 IU/mL, but never fulfilling current criteria for NUCs during follow-up) (untreated MA group), compared to virological responders by NUCs (NUC-VR group). Eligible patients undergoing transient elastography were consecutively enrolled. Patients with an immune-tolerant or inactive phase and with cirrhosis or HCC at enrollment were excluded. Cumulative risks of disease progression were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The untreated MA group (n = 152) had higher HBV-DNA, alanine aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels, and lower proportions of male and positive hepatitis B e antigen, compared to the NUC-VR group (n = 641). The untreated MA group had higher risks of HCC (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 3.485, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.234-9.846; P = 0.018), but similar risks of cirrhotic complications (adjusted HR 0.649, 95% CI 0.227-1.854; P = 0.420), compared to the NUC-VR group. Inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis using propensity score showed that the untreated MA group had higher risks of HCC (HR 4.464, 95% CI 2.008-9.901; P < 0.001), but similar risks of cirrhotic complications (HR 1.171, 95% CI 0.594-2.309; P = 0.649), compared to the NUC-VR group. DISCUSSION: Through appropriate adjustment of potential prognostic factors, the untreated MA group consistently showed higher risks of HCC, but similar risks of cirrhotic complications, compared to the NUC-VR group. HCC risk might be reduced through earlier NUCs for the untreated MA group.

Conditional Survival Estimates Improve Over Time for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Analysis for Nationwide Korea Cancer Registry Database.

PURPOSE: Conditional survival estimates (CSE) can provide additional useful prognostic information on the period of survival after diagnosis, which helps in counseling patients with cancer on their individual prognoses. This study aimed to analyze conditional survival (CS) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using a Korean national registry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with HCC, registered in the Korean cancer registry database, were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The 1-year CS at X year or month after diagnosis were calculated as CS1=OS(X+1)/OS(X). CS calculations were performed in each Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage, after which patients at stage 0, A, and B underwent subgroup analysis using initial treatment methods. RESULTS: A total of 4,063 patients diagnosed with HCC from January 2008 to December 2010, and 2,721 who were diagnosed from January 2011 to December 2012, were separately reviewed. In 2008-2010, the 1-year CS of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5-year survivors was 82.9%, 85.1%, 88.3%, 88.0%, and 88.6%, respectively. Patients demonstrated an increase in CSE over time in subgroup analysis, especially in the advanced stages. In 2011-2012, the 1-year CS of 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months was 81.5%, 83.8%, 85.3%, 85.5%, 86.5%, and 88.8%, respectively. The subgroup analysis showed the same tendency towards increased CSE in the advanced stages. CONCLUSION: Overall, the CS improved with each additional year after diagnosis in both groups. CSE may therefore provide a more accurate prognosis and hopeful message to patients who are surviving with or after treatment.

Comparison between chronic hepatitis B patients with untreated immune-tolerant phase vs. those with virological response by antivirals.

Routine nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUCs) have not yet been recommended for patients with immune-tolerant (IT) phase in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We aimed to evaluate prognosis of patients in untreated IT-phase (UIT group), compared to those in immune-active phase who achieved virological response by NUCs according to guidelines (VR group). Between 2006 and 2012, patients in UIT or VR groups were included. Cumulative risks of HCC and liver-related events (LREs) development were assessed. Furthermore, propensity-score was calculated based upon age, gender, diabetes and liver stiffness. UIT group (n = 126) showed younger age, lower proportion of male gender and lower LS than VR group (n = 641). UIT group had similar 10-year cumulative risks of HCC (2.7% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.704) and LRE (4.6% vs. 6.1%, p = 0.903) development, compared to VR group. When we re-defined UIT group by the lower ALT cut-offs, 10-year cumulative risks of HCC and LRE development were 2.9% and 4.8%, respectively. Using propensity-score matching and inverse probability treatment weighting analysis, similar results were reproduced. UIT group consistently had similar prognosis compared to VR group. Therefore, further large-scale prospective studies in order to verify rationales of routine NUCs in UIT group are still required.

Progression of Untreated Minimally Active Chronic HBV Infection Compared to Inactive Infection.

Nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUCs) are recommended when both are fulfilled in the absence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or cirrhosis; (1) elevated serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA (≥20,000 IU/mL for hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B [CHB] or ≥2000 IU/mL for hepatitis B e antigen-negative CHB) and (2) serum alanine aminotransferase ≥2× upper limit of normal.1 Therefore, many patients still remain untreated. Such untreated patients have so called "minimally active CHB," where serum HBV-DNA is persistently >2000 IU/mL and other parameters for NUCs are below the criteria.2 There have been little data concerning their prognosis.

Fibrosis-matched outcomes between chronic hepatitis B patients with drug-induced virological response and inactive carriers.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We compared the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development between patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who achieved virological response (VR; HBV-DNA < 2000 IU/mL) with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) treatment (NUC-VR group) and patients with inactive CHB phase (ICHBP group). METHODS: To adjust for imbalances between NUC-VR and ICHBP groups, propensity score matching (PSM) models with 1:1 ratios were performed. RESULTS: This study included 2032 patients (n = 1291 in NUC-VR group and n = 741 in ICHBP group). Before PSM, NUC-VR group was at higher risk of HCC development than ICHBP group at 7 years (9.4% in NUC-VR group vs 3.3% in ICHBP group; P < 0.001). However, after PSM, the cumulative HCC development rates at 7 years were similar in NUC-VR and ICHBP groups using the three PSM models [2.0% vs 4.3%, PSM model-1 (612 pairs); 3.7% vs 4.4%, PSM model-2 (618 pairs); and 2.4% vs 4.3%, PSM model-3 (610 pairs)] (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting heavier hepatic fibrosis burden in NUC-VR group, overall clinical outcomes between 2 groups had become comparable. Therefore, if appropriate, NUCs to prevent viral replication and hepatic inflammation are required for achieving better prognosis.

Epidemiology, Genotype Distribution, Prognosis, Control, and Management of Viral Hepatitis B, C, D, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Mongolia.

Mongolia is located between Russia and China. The total population of Mongolia as of December 2017 is estimated to be 3.2 million people. According to our previous study results, the prevalence of HBV was 11.8%, and anti-HDV was detected in 4.8% among the HBsAg-positive subjects. Interestingly, most HCV infection is caused by genotype 1b. Among all HBV DNA-positive samples, 98.5% were classified into genotype D, and regarding HDV genotypes, all HDV RNA-positive samples, 100%, were classified into genotype I. The second study is the baseline survey of a Nationwide Cancer Cohort Study. Prevalence of HBsAg was 10.6%. Additionally, HCV infection was observed in 9.9%, and 0.8% were coinfected with HBV and HCV among the general population aged from 10 to 64 years. The third study investigated the population-based prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus in apparently healthy population of Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia. The anti-HCV prevalence was 9.0%. In addition, the prevalence of HBV was 8.0%. The fourth study is on the prevalence of HCV and coinfections among nurses in a tertiary hospital in Mongolia. The prevalence of HCV was 18.9%. Additionally, HBV infection was observed in 23.1%, and 1.2% were coinfected with HCV and HBV. Mongolia has the highest HCC incidence in the world (78.1/100,000, 3.5* higher than China). As a result, the Mongolia government has launched The National Viral Hepatitis Program, which is a comprehensive program that involves all aspects from prevention to care and disease control to meet a reduction goal for morbidity and mortality due to HBV, HCV, and HDV. Consequently, access to antiviral therapies is now improving in Mongolia. How to cite this article: Baatarkhuu O, Gerelchimeg T, Munkh-Orshikh D, Batsukh B, Sarangua G, Amarsanaa J. Epidemiology, Genotype Distribution, Prognosis, Control, and Management of Viral Hepatitis B, C, D, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Mongolia. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2018;8(1):57-62.

Viral Hepatitis and Liver Diseases in Mongolia.

Mongolia is known for its high endemicity for viral hepatitis. Previous studies report that the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is 11.8% (178/1,512) among the unvaccinated population in 13 provinces and Ulaanbaatar city. The serosurvey of adults (>20 years of age) conducted during 2013 among persons in four provinces and in Ulaanbaatar showed that the overall prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity was 10.6%. The overall prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HCV ribonucleic acid among 1,512 apparently healthy subjects was 15.6% (236/1,512) and 11.0% (167/1,512) respectively. In a previous study, we reported on the prevalence of HBV, HDV, and HCV infections in 110 consecutive patients presenting with acute hepatitis at eight city hospitals in Ulaanbaatar. In that study, 16.4, 32.7, 6.4, 1.8, and 27.3% of the patients were diagnosed as having acute hepatitis due to hepatitis A, B, C, HBV/HDV coinfection, and superinfection respectively. In the current study (2012-2014), results show that acute hepatitis A, B, C, and D was diagnosed in 47.9, 40.7, 5.3, and 9% respectively. Chronic HBV and HCV infections, which are associated with cancer and cirrhosis respectively, are responsible for 95% of liver cancers in Mongolia. The most common etiology for hepatocellular carcinoma was HCV infection (n = 89, 45.6%), followed by HBV infection (n = 67, 34.4%). How to cite this article: Baatarkhuu O, Uugantsetseg G, Munkh-Orshikh D, Naranzul N, Badamjav S, Tserendagva D, Amarsanaa J, Young KD. Viral Hepatitis and Liver Diseases in Mongolia. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(1):68-72.

Acute hepatitis A, B and C but not D is still prevalent in Mongolia: a time trend analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Mongolia has one of the highest hepatitis A, C, B and D infection incidences worldwide. We sought to investigate changes in the proportion of acute viral hepatitis types in Mongolia over the last decade. METHODS: The cohort comprised 546 consecutive patients clinically diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis from January 2012 to December 2014 in Ulaanbaatar Hospital, Mongolia. A time trend analysis investigating the change in proportion of acute hepatitis A virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection among the cohort with respect to a previous published study was undertaken. RESULTS: Acute hepatitis A, B and C was diagnosed in 50.9%, 26.2% and 6.0% of the cohort. Notably, 16.8% of the cohort had a dual infection. The etiologies of acute viral hepatitis were varied by age groups. The most common cause of acute viral hepatitis among 2-19 year olds was hepatitis A, HBV and superinfection with HDV among 20-40 year olds, and HCV among 40-49 year olds. Patients with more than one hepatitis virus infection were significantly older, more likely to be male and had a higher prevalence of all risk factors for disease acquisition. These patients also had more severe liver disease at presentation compared to those with mono-infection. CONCLUSIONS: Acute viral hepatitis is still prevalent in Mongolia. Thus, the need for proper infection control is increasing in this country.

Screening and management of viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Mongolia: results from a survey of Mongolian physicians from all major provinces of Mongolia.

BACKGROUND: According to Globocan, Mongolia has the highest worldwide hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence (78.1/100 000, 3.5× higher than China). AIMS AND METHODS: We conducted an anonymous survey of physicians from major provinces who attended an educational liver symposium, analysing their demography, practice, knowledge, perceptions and proposed solutions. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate OR relating demography and practice factors with higher provider knowledge and improvement. RESULTS: Of the 121 attendees, 44-95 (36-79%) responded to each question. Most were female (87%), young (79% age <50), subspecialists (81%), university-affiliated (74%), and practised in urban areas (61%). The mean pretest and post-test scores per physician were 60.4±20.4 and 65.6±21.3, with no observed significant predictors for baseline knowledge or improvement. Most (>80%) noted that <50% of patients who need hepatitis or HCC screening receive it. The main perceived barriers to screening were inability to pay for tests, lack of guidelines and poor patient awareness. Hepatitis treatment rates were low; 83% treated hepatitis C virus in <10 patients in the past year, and 86% treated hepatitis B virus in <10 patients/month. Treatment barriers were multifactorial, with cost as a principal barrier. Proposed solutions were universal screening policies (46%), removal of financial barriers (28%) and provider education (20%). CONCLUSIONS: Physicians from major regions of Mongolia noted low screening for viral hepatitis, even lower treatment rates, financial barriers and the need for increased educational efforts. We advocate broad-based medical education tailored to local needs and based on needs assessment and outcome measurements.

Association Between Level of Fibrosis, Rather Than Antiviral Regimen, and Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We performed a propensity-score matched analysis to investigate whether entecavir, compared with lamivudine, can reduce risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B after adjusting for level of fibrosis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 1079 patients with chronic hepatitis B who received first-line therapy with lamivudine (n = 435) or entecavir (n = 644) from 2006 through 2013. Only patients with available liver stiffness value measured by transient elastography were recruited. Liver cirrhosis was diagnosed by ultrasonography. To adjust for the imbalance of patients treated with lamivudine versus entecavir, we performed propensity-score matching (PSM), at a ratio of 1:1, using 7 factors (age, sex, hepatitis B e antigen, alanine aminotransferase, serum albumin, platelet count, and liver stiffness; PSM1) or 8 factors (variables of PSM1 plus ultrasonography measurements of cirrhosis; PSM2). Patients with virologic breakthrough or resistance mutations received rescue therapy. RESULTS: Over the 7-year period, 91 patients developed HCC and 104 had liver-related events in the entire cohort. In multivariate analyses, level of fibrosis, but not antiviral regimen, was independently associated with risk of HCC (P < .05). The PSM1 group included 342 pairs of patients and the PSM2 group included 338 pairs. Similar proportions of patients given lamivudine versus entecavir developed HCC in each model (10.5% given lamivudine vs 9.9% given entecavir in PSM1 and 11.9% vs 12.6% in PSM2; all P > .05). When PSM was applied to patients with liver stiffness value ≤13 kPa or >13 kPa, patients given lamivudine versus entecavir still had similar cumulative rates of HCC development (all P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: In a PSM analysis, we associated level of fibrosis, rather than antiviral regimen, with risk of HCC, when patients received appropriate rescue therapy in case of virologic breakthrough or resistance mutations.

Lower incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis in hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response by pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate the benefits of successful antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients METHODS: A total of 463 CHC patients who underwent pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin therapy were classified as sustained virological response (SVR) or non-SVR based on response to antiviral therapy. We investigated disease progression to cirrhosis in non-cirrhotic patients, development of cirrhosis-related complications such as ascites, variceal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis, and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RESULTS: Three hundred patients achieved SVR, and 163 were classified into the non-SVR group. The overall SVR rates were 64.8 %, and multivariate analysis showed that younger age, non-cirrhosis, HCV genotype 2 or 3, lower HCV RNA level (<800,000 IU/mL), and lower body weight were independent factors associated with SVR (all P < 0.05). During a median follow-up of 36.1 months, non-cirrhotic patients with SVR had significantly lower risk of progression to cirrhosis compared with patients with non-SVR (P < 0.001). Moreover, SVR was related to a reduced risk of HCC development (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: SVR resulted in significantly more favorable long-term outcomes, such as lower risk of progression to cirrhosis and HCC occurrence compared with non-SVR.