Prevalence and characteristics of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in a Spanish university hospital.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) arises in chronic liver diseases, particularly caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol in Europe. We aimed at evaluating the characteristics and mortality of patients with HCV-related HCC as compared to other HCC etiologies. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated data from 887 patients with HCC identified through the Hospital del Mar Cancer Registry (Barcelona, Spain), during the 2001-2020 period. We estimated crude and adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) of dying and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI). RESULTS: Among 887 patients with HCC, 617 (69.6%) were HCV-infected. Underlying cirrhosis was more frequent in HCV-related HCC compared to other etiologies (97% vs. 89%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of HCV-related HCC decreased from 79% in 2001-2005 to 55% in 2015-2020 (p < 0.001). HCV infection did not increase the hazard of death [aHR 0.95 (CI95% 0.81-1.13)]. Mortality was independently related to age > 75 years, advanced BCLC stage at diagnosis, and diagnosis before 2010. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, HCV-related HCC frequently occurred in a cirrhotic background, but showed similar clinical characteristics and mortality as compared to other HCC etiologies.

On-therapy HBsAg kinetics can predict HBsAg loss after nucleos(t)ide analogues interruption in HBeAg-negative patients. The cup is half full and half empty.

BACKGROUND: Nucleos(t)ide analogues withdrawal may improve HBsAg loss rates. However, conditions to select patients are not well established. AIMS: to evaluate the impact of HBsAg kinetics before treatment interruption on post-treatment response. METHODS: Longitudinal, ambispective study in non-cirrhotic chronic hepatitis B HBeAg-negative patients, analysing on-treatment and post-treatment HBsAg kinetics. On-treatment HBsAg kinetics diagnostic accuracy (AUROC) to identify HBsAg loss was evaluated. RESULTS: 52 HBeAg-negative patients stopped treatment after 8.2 years, and 6 (11.5%) achieved HBsAg loss one year after withdrawal. Multivariate analysis showed that on-treatment HBsAg kinetics was related to HBsAg loss (OR=0.10; 95%CI=0.016-0.632; p = 0.014) with a high diagnostic accuracy (AUROC=0.935). A significant HBsAg decline ≥1 log10 IU/mL showed a positive and negative predictive value of 50% and of 97.6%, respectively. After treatment interruption, HBsAg decline speed (log10 IU/mL/year) accelerated in patients treated >6 years (from -0.06 to -0.20, p<0.05) and remained stable in treated <6 years (from -0.12 to -0.12 p=ns). CONCLUSIONS: On-treatment HBsAg kinetics can predict post-treatment HBsAg loss rate. Half of patients with a significant HBsAg decline can eliminate HBsAg the first year after withdrawal. Post-treatment HBsAg decline is faster not only in patients who lost the HBsAg but also in those who remain HBsAg-positive.

International and multicenter real-world study of sorafenib-treated patients with hepatocellular carcinoma under dialysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Information on safety and efficacy of systemic treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) under dialysis are limited due to patient exclusion from clinical trials. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the rate, prevalence, tolerability, and outcome of sorafenib in this population. METHODS: We report a multicenter study comprising patients from Latin America and Europe. Patients treated with sorafenib were enrolled; demographics, dose modifications, adverse events (AEs), treatment duration, and outcome of patients undergoing dialysis were recorded. RESULTS: As of March 2018, 6156 HCC patients were treated in 44 centres and 22 patients were concomitantly under dialysis (0.36%). The median age was 65.5 years, 40.9% had hepatitis C, 75% had Child-Pugh A, and 85% were Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer-C. The median time to first dose modification, treatment duration and overall survival rate were 2.4 months (interquartile ranges [IQR], 0.8-3.8), 10.8 months (IQR, 4.5-16.9), and 17.5 months (95% CI, 7.2-24.5), respectively. Seventeen patients required at least 1 dose modification. The main causes of first dose modification were asthenia/worsening of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status and diarrhoea. At the time of death or last follow-up, four patients were still on treatment and 18 had discontinued sorafenib: 14 were due to tumour progression, 2 were sorafenib-related, and 2 were non-sorafenib-related AE. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes observed in this cohort seem comparable to those in the non-dialysis population. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, this is the largest and most informative dataset regarding systemic treatment outcomes in HCC patients undergoing dialysis.

Impact of anthropometric features on the applicability and accuracy of FibroScan® (M and XL) in overweight/obese patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Transient elastography is the reference method for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in the general population, having lower applicability in obese patients. We evaluated the applicability and diagnostic accuracy of the M and XL probes in overweight/obese patients to establish the most appropriate approach. METHODS: From May 2013 to March 2015, we evaluated patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m2 . We constructed an algorithm with variables independently related to unreliable LSM with the M probe. RESULTS: A total of 1084 patients were evaluated. M and XL probe applicability was 88.8% and 98%, respectively. Waist circumference (WC) (OR; 95% CI; P) (0.97; 0.94-0.99; P < 0.001) and skin-capsule distance (SCD) (0.83; 0.79-0.87; P < 0.001) were independently related to unreliable LSM (M probe). The SCD was > 25 mm in 5.5% of individuals with a BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2 and a WC ≤ 117 cm, with LSM (M probe) applicability rising to 94.3%. In contrast, 36.9% of patients with a BMI > 35 kg/m2 and/or a WC > 117 cm presented an SCD > 25 mm, with M probe applicability being 73.1%. The diagnostic accuracy (area under the receiver operator characteristic) using the M probe to identify significant steatosis (0.76), fibrosis (0.89), and cirrhosis (0.96) was very high in patients with a BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2 and a WC ≤ 117 cm. CONCLUSIONS: The applicability and accuracy of the FibroScan® M probe to identify fibrosis and steatosis was excellent in overweight and obesity grade I (BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2 ) with a WC ≤ 117 cm. The XL probe increased the applicability of transient elastography in obesity grade II-III (BMI > 35 kg/m2 ).

Diagnostic Accuracy of the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF®) Score Using HCV-Infected Serum Samples Cryopreserved for up to 25 Years.

INTRODUCTION & AIMS: Cryopreservation of serum samples is a standard procedure for biomedical research in tertiary centers. However, studies evaluating the long-term biological stability of direct liver fibrosis markers using cryopreserved samples are scarce. METHODS: We compared the stability of hyaluronic acid (HA), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) and amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) in 225 frozen serum samples of HCV-infected patients with a paired liver biopsy for up to 25 years (1990-2014). Moreover, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy (AUROC) of the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF®) score to identify significant fibrosis (F2-4) and its predictive capacity to identify clinical events during follow-up. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients (39,8%) had mild fibrosis (F0-1) and 115 (60,2%) significant fibrosis (F2-4). HA, PIIINP and TIMP-1 values remained stable during the period from 1995 to 2014 while those of 1990-94 were slightly higher. We did not find significant differences in the median ELF® values during the 20-year period from 1995-2014 in patients with mild (from 8,4 to 8,7) and significant fibrosis (from 9,9 to 10,9) (p = ns between periods and fibrosis stages). The AUROCs of ELF® to identify significant fibrosis were high in all the periods (from 0,85 to 0,91). The ELF® score showed a good predictive capability to identify clinical events during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The biological stability of direct serum markers (HA, PIIINP and TIMP-1) using HCV-infected samples cryopreserved for 20 years is good. Therefore, the diagnostic accuracy of the ELF® score to identify significant fibrosis and clinical events during follow-up is very high.

[Evaluation and treatment of the critically ill cirrhotic patient]. / Evaluación y tratamiento del paciente cirrótico crítico.

Cirrhotic patients often develop severe complications requiring ICU admission. Grade III-IV hepatic encephalopathy, septic shock, acute-on-chronic liver failure and variceal bleeding are clinical decompensations that need a specific therapeutic approach in cirrhosis. The increased effectiveness of the treatments currently used in this setting and the spread of liver transplantation programs have substantially improved the prognosis of critically ill cirrhotic patients, which has facilitated their admission to critical care units. However, gastroenterologists and intensivists have limited knowledge of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of these complications and of the prognostic evaluation of critically ill cirrhotic patients. Cirrhotic patients present alterations in systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics, coagulation and immune dysfunction what further increase the complexity of the treatment, the risk of developing new complications and mortality in comparison with the general population. These differential characteristics have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications that must be known by general intensivists. In this context, the Catalan Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology requested a group of experts to draft a position paper on the assessment and treatment of critically ill cirrhotic patients. This article describes the recommendations agreed upon at the consensus meetings and their main conclusions.

Drug-drug interactions of telaprevir and boceprevir in HCV-monoinfected and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients can modify the adherence.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The first generation protease inhibitors, boceprevir (BOC) and telaprevir (TVR), are both CYP3A4 inhibitors, which predispose drug-drug interactions (DDIs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of potential DDIs, the management of outpatient medication and its impact on adherence and efficacy to antiviral treatment in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-monoinfected and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV-coinfected patients receiving BOC and TVR. METHODS: The usual medication starting with BOC or TVR was screened by the pharmacist of the multidisciplinary support programme (MSP) for potential DDIs. Recommendations were made to avoid significant DDIs, and changes in the baseline medication were recorded. Adherence to antiviral treatment was considered as 80/80/95% of total doses. Sustained virological response was assessed at week 12 (SVR12). RESULTS: At least one potential DDI was found in 70 (64.8%) patients, 45 (54.2%) being HCV-monoinfected and 25 (100%) HIV/HCV-coinfected (P < 0.01). Baseline treatment modifications were required in 38 (35.2%) patients. Adherence and SVR12 were higher in patients without DDIs (86.8%) and (67.6%) compared to those with DDIs (62.8%) (P = 0.021) and (47.2%) (P = 0.097) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the patients were at risk of presenting DDIs, leading to changes in the baseline medication in one-third of the patients. Drug interactions are frequent in patients with lower adherence.

A multidisciplinary support programme increases the efficiency of pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Adherence to antiviral treatment is important to achieve sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We evaluated the efficiency of a multidisciplinary support programme (MSP), based on published HIV treatment experience, to increase patient adherence and the efficacy of pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin in CHC. METHODS: 447 patients receiving antiviral treatment were distributed into 3 groups: control group (2003-2004, n=147), MSP group (2005-2006, n=131), and MSP-validation group (2007-2009, n=169). The MSP group included two hepatologists, two nurses, one pharmacist, one psychologist, one administrative assistant, and one psychiatrist. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed using a Markov model. RESULTS: Adherence and SVR rates were higher in the MSP (94.6% and 77.1%) and MSP-validation (91.7% and 74.6%) groups compared to controls (78.9% and 61.9%) (p<0.05 in all cases). SVR was higher in genotypes 1 or 4 followed by the MSP group vs. controls (67.7% vs. 48.9%, p=0.02) compared with genotypes 2 or 3 (87.7% vs. 81.4%, p=n.s.). The MSP was the main predictive factor of SVR in patients with genotype 1. The rate of adherence in patients with psychiatric disorders was higher in the MSP groups (n=95, 90.5%) compared to controls (n=28, 75.7%) (p=0.02). The cost per patient was € 13,319 in the MSP group and € 16,184 in the control group. The MSP group achieved more quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) (16.317 QALYs) than controls (15.814 QALYs) and was dominant in all genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: MSP improves patient compliance and increases the efficiency of antiviral treatment in CHC, being cost-effective.

Incidence and prognosis of different types of functional renal failure in cirrhotic patients with ascites.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatorenal syndrome is a well-characterized type of terminal renal failure that occurs in patients with cirrhosis with ascites. Information about other types of functional renal failure in these patients is scarce. We assessed the incidence and prognosis of different types of functional renal failure in cirrhotic patients with ascites and investigated prognostic factors for these disorders. METHODS: Consecutive cirrhotic patients (n = 263) were followed for 41 +/- 3 months after their first incidence of ascites. Three types of functional renal failure were considered: pre-renal failure (when renal failure was associated with a depletion of intravascular volume), renal failure induced by infection that did not result in hepatorenal syndrome, and hepatorenal syndrome. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 129 (49%) patients developed some type of functional renal failure. The most frequent was pre-renal failure (27.4%), followed by renal failure induced by infection (14.1%), and then hepatorenal syndrome (7.6%). The 1-year probability of developing the first episode of any functional renal failure was 23.6%. The independent predictors of functional renal failure development were baseline age, Child-Pugh score, and serum creatinine. Although the 1-year probability of survival was 91% in patients without renal failure, it decreased to 46.9% in those patients who developed any functional renal failure (P = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 50% of the cirrhotic patients with ascites developed some type of functional renal failure during the follow-up period; renal failure was associated with worse prognosis. Efforts should be made to prevent renal failure in cirrhotic patients with ascites.

Differences in virological response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin between hepatitis C virus (HCV)-monoinfected and HCV-HIV-coinfected patients.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal doses of ribavirin have been suggested to explain the diminished efficacy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-HIV-coinfected patients. METHODS: A cohort of 104 coinfected patients and an age-, sex- and genotype-matched cohort of HCV-monoinfected patients (n = 104) were compared. All patients received PEG-IFN-alpha2a 180 microg/week plus ribavirin 800-1,200 mg daily (HCV genotype 2/3 patients received 800 mg daily and those with genotype 1/4 received 1,000-1,200 mg daily) for 48 weeks (24 weeks for monoinfected patients with genotypes 2/3). HCV RNA levels were determined qualitatively at weeks 4, 12, 24, 48 and 72 and quantified monthly until week 12. RESULTS: The coinfected cohort had more advanced liver disease and lower body weight. HCV genotype 1 patients coinfected with HIV showed higher levels of HCV RNA than monoinfected patients. A significantly higher proportion of coinfected patients interrupted the prescribed treatment period prematurely (84% versus 98%). During the first 12 weeks, smaller decreases in HCV RNA levels were observed in coinfected patients. Among patients with HCV genotype 1, coinfected patients achieved lower rates of early virological response (64% versus 87%), end-of-treatment response (47.3% versus 80%) and sustained virological response (SVR; 27.3% versus 56.4%), but not rapid virological response (RVR). HCV-HIV-coinfected patients with HCV genotype 2/3 achieved significantly lower rates of RVR (52% versus 88%). Multivariate analysis identified RVR, gender and liver fibrosis as independent predictors of SVR. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in efficacy of PEG-IFN-alpha2a plus ribavirin treatment between HCV-HIV-coinfected and HCV-monoinfected patients were maintained despite optimized ribavirin dose.

Natural history of patients hospitalized for management of cirrhotic ascites.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Since the International Ascites Club published the diagnostic criteria of refractory ascites (RA) and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), there have been few studies assessing the natural history of ascites. The aims of this study were to define the natural history of cirrhotic ascites and to identify prognostic factors for dilutional hyponatremia (DH), RA, HRS, and survival. METHODS: Two hundred sixty-three consecutive cirrhotic patients were followed for 40.9 +/- 2.6 months after their first significant ascites. RESULTS: During follow-up 74 (28.1%) patients developed DH, 30 (11.4%) RA (diuretic-resistant in 2 cases and diuretic-intractable because of the development of diuretic-induced complications in 28 cases), and 20 (7.6%) HRS (type 1, 7; type 2, 13). The 5-year probability of DH, RA, and HRS development was 37.1%, 11.4%, and 11.4%, respectively. The probability of survival at 1 and 5 years was 85% and 56.5%, respectively. The independent predictors for survival were baseline age, baseline Child-Pugh score, and DH development. The 1-year probability of survival after developing DH, RA, and type 2 HRS was 25.6%, 31.6%, and 38.5%, respectively. In contrast, the mean survival was only 7 +/- 2 days in those patients developing type 1 HRS. CONCLUSIONS: (1) The survival of cirrhotic patients with first episode of ascites is relatively high, and it is mainly influenced by age and Child-Pugh score at the time of ascites decompensation, as well as by DH development. (2) The probability of RA and HRS development is relatively low, but they are associated with a poor prognosis.

Poor response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy in HIV- and HCV-coinfected patients is not due to lower adherence to treatment.

The degree of adherence to anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy among HIV/HCV-coinfected patients is not known. A prospective cohort study was performed in two groups of patients: 79 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients (group 1) and 78-HCV-monoinfected patients (group 2). Patients were treated with interferon alpha-2a (3 million international units [MIU], three times per week) plus ribavirin (1000-1200 mg/day) for 48 weeks. Adherence to therapy was defined as having received +/-80% of both drug dosages for +/-80% of the expected duration of therapy. The degree of adherence to treatment was similar for patients with or without HIV coinfection (72.2 versus 80.8%). The overall sustained virological response (SVR) in patients with adherence to therapy was 41.7% as compared with only 8.1% (p = 0.0001) in patients without adherence. The difference in SVR rate according to adherence to treatment was also evident in patients of group 1 (29.8% versus 9.1%; p = 0.05) as well as in those of group 2 (52.4 versus 6.7%; p = 0.001). Adherence to anti-HCV therapy, which can be similar in mono- and coinfected patients, enhances the likelihood of achieving an increase in SVR rate. In addition to improved adherence, in coinfected patients more aggressive therapeutic strategies may be necessary to achieve SVR.

Probability of liver cancer and survival in HCV-related or alcoholic-decompensated cirrhosis. A study of 377 patients.

BACKGROUND: Although chronic alcohol intake and chronic hepatitis C may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), few data are available about survival and probability of developing HCC in decompensated cirrhosis of both aetiologies. METHODS: This study identified factors related with probability of developing HCC and survival in a cohort of 377 consecutive patients with decompensated HCV-related cirrhosis (200 cases) or alcoholic cirrhosis (177 cases) without known HCC, hospitalized for their first hepatic decompensation, as well as to evaluate differences between both aetiologies. Patients were followed for a mean period of 39 +/- 2 months. RESULTS: During follow-up, 42 patients (11.1%) developed HCC (16.5% vs 5.1%) in groups HCV and alcohol, respectively; p = 0.0008), and 131 patients (34.7%) died (42% vs 26.6% in groups HCV and alcohol, respectively; p = 0.002). Age and HCV-cirrhosis were independently related to HCC development, while baseline age and Child-Turcotte-Pugh score were independently correlated with survival. CONCLUSION: Survival in decompensated HCV-related or alcoholic cirrhosis is influenced by age and baseline Child-Turcotte-Pugh score, without differences in cirrhosis aetiology. The risk of developing HCC is greater in HCV-related cirrhosis than in alcoholic cirrhosis.

Mechanisms of early decrease in systemic vascular resistance after total paracentesis: influence of flow rate of ascites extraction.

BACKGROUND: An early decrease in systemic vascular resistance (SVR) after total paracentesis has been observed in ascitic patients who developed paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction. AIMS: To investigate the mechanisms of early changes in SVR after total paracentesis and the influence of intra-abdominal pressure and the flow rate of ascites extraction on the development of an early decrease in SVR. METHODS: Twenty-two cirrhotic patients with tense ascites were treated by total paracentesis (7 +/- 0.4 l). Measurements of intra-abdominal pressure and the volume of ascites removed were recorded every 10 min. Hormonal and haemodynamic measurements were performed at baseline and 3 h after total paracentesis. RESULTS: SVR decreased 3 h after paracentesis in 17 patients and remained stable in five patients. Patients with a decrease in SVR showed a significant increase in nitrite/nitrate serum values (4.4 +/- 0.9 to 7.4 +/- 1 nmol/ml; P < 0.05). A significant correlation was observed between the decrease in SVR and nitrite/nitrate serum values (r = 0.566; P < 0.05). The volume of ascites removed was similar in patients with and without a decrease in SVR. Patients with a decrease in SVR showed higher baseline intra-abdominal pressure, shorter duration of paracentesis (60 +/- 4.9 vs 88 +/- 0.4 min; P < 0.01) and higher flow rate of ascites extraction (1.18 +/- 0.08 vs 0.81 +/- 0.12 l/min; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that an early decrease in SVR after total paracentesis is due to an increase in arterial vasodilation that may be related to an abrupt decrease in intra-abdominal pressure after fast paracentesis. Haemodynamic disturbances after total paracentesis could be prevented by reducing the flow rate of ascites extraction.

Natural history of decompensated hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis. A study of 200 patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Since few data are available concerning the clinical course of decompensated hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis, the aim of the present study was to define the natural long-term course after the first hepatic decompensation. METHODS: Cohort of 200 consecutive patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, and without known hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hospitalized for the first hepatic decompensation. RESULTS: Ascites was the most frequent first decompensation (48%), followed by portal hypertensive gastrointestinal bleeding (PHGB) (32.5%), severe bacterial infection (BI) (14.5%) and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) (5%). During follow-up (34+/-2 months) there were 519 readmissions, HCC developed in 33 (16.5%) patients, and death occurred in 85 patients (42.5%). The probability of survival after diagnosis of decompensated cirrhosis was 81.8 and 50.8% at 1 and 5 years, respectively. HE and/or ascites as the first hepatic decompensation, baseline Child-Pugh score, age, and presence of more than one decompensation during follow-up were independently correlated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: Once decompensated HCV-related cirrhosis was established, patients showed not only a very high frequency of readmissions, but also developed decompensations different from the initial one. These results contribute to defining the natural course and prognosis of decompensated HCV-related cirrhosis.

[Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses in different counties of Catalonia, Spain: cross-sectional study]. / Prevalencia de las hepatitis B y C en diversas comarcas de Cataluña: estudio transversal.

BACKGROUND: There are few data available in our community regarding the prevalence of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection in the general population. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and serologic characteristics of HBV and HCV in Catalonia. For this purpose, HBsAg and anti-HCV were assessed in serum aliquots obtained from a sample of 2194 individuals, who were chosen at random out from different Catalonian counties. In those cases in which any of the markers were positive, the following analyses were performed afterwards: serum transaminases, HBV-DNA detection by PCR (in HBsAg positives) and HCV-RNA detection by PCR and genotypes (in antiHCV positives). All subjects yielding positive results were interviewed in order to determine possible risk factors. RESULTS: HBV prevalence was 1.69% (95% CI, 1.62-1.76) and that of HCV was 2.64% (95% CI, 2.53-2.75). HCV prevalence increased with age (1.7% in younger than 50 years and 3.6% in older than 50 years, p < 0.01), but not that of HBV. Only a small proportion (12.1%) of HBV carriers had detectable HBV-DNA levels. On the contrary, quite an important proportion of HCV carriers (68.6%) had detectable HCV-RNA levels. Predominant HCV genotype was 1 (79.3%). Transaminases levels were within normal limits in many HBV and HCV carriers (70.9 and 60%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of HBV and HCV in Catalonia was 1.69% and 2.64%, respectively. Most HCV carriers had positive serum HCV-RNA, whereas serum HBV-DNA was negative in most HBV carriers