ABSTRACT
Background: Hepatitis C virus infection is a major cause of cirrhosis; hepatocellular carcinoma; and liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to estimate hepatitis C virus disease progression and the burden of disease from a nationwide perspective.Methods: Using a model developed to forecast hepatitis C virus disease progression and the number of cases at each stage of liver disease; hepatitis C virus-infected population and associated disease progression in Brazil were quantified. The impact of two different strategies was compared: higher sustained virological response and treatment eligibility rates (1) or higher diagnosis and treatment rates associated with increased sustained virological response rates (2).Results: The number of infected individuals is estimated to decline by 35% by 2030 (1,255,000 individuals); while the number of cases of compensated (n= 325,900) and decompen- sated (n= 45,000) cirrhosis; hepatocellular carcinoma (n= 19,100); and liver-related deaths (n= 16,700) is supposed to peak between 2028 and 2032. In strategy 2; treated cases increased over tenfold in 2020 (118,800 treated) as compared to 2013 (11,740 treated); with sustained virological response increased to 90% and treatment eligibility to 95%. Under this strategy; the number of infected individuals decreased by 90% between 2013 and 2030. Compared to the base case; liver-related deaths decreased by 70% by 2030; while hepatitis C virus-related liver cancer and decompensated cirrhosis decreased by 75 and 80%; respectively.Conclusions: While the incidence and prevalence of hepatitis C virus in Brazil are decreasing; cases of advanced liver disease continue to rise. Besides higher sustained virological response rates; new strategies focused on increasing the proportion of diagnosed patients and eligibility to treatment should be adopted in order to reduce the burden of hepatitis C virus infection in Brazil.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/virology , Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications , Liver Cirrhosis/virology , Liver Neoplasms/virology , Antiviral Agents , Brazil/epidemiology , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/epidemiology , Disease Progression , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Hepatitis C, Chronic/epidemiology , Incidence , Liver Cirrhosis/epidemiology , Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology , Liver Transplantation , Models, Theoretical , Prevalence , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The treatment of the chronic hepatitis C (HCV) with α-interferon is associated with thyroid dysfunction (TD). The aim of this study was to evaluate thyroid function outcome among patients with chronic HCV under treatment with conventional interferon (IFN) or peguilated interferon (PEG-IFN) in association with ribavirin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 293 patients with chronic HCV, submitted to drug therapy for 24 or 48 weeks. Initially, we evaluated FT4, TSH, TPOAb, TgAb, and continued to monitor FT4 and TSH every three months during therapy and six months thereafter. RESULTS: At baseline, TD prevalence was 6.82 percent (n = 20); 6.14 percent hypothyroidism; 0.68 percent hyperthyroidism. TPOAb was present in 5.46 percent of euthyroid patients. Out of 273 euthyroid patients at baseline, 19 percent developed TD: 17.2 percent hypothyroidism; 1.8 percent hyperthyroidism; 5.1 percent destructive thyroiditis (DT). 90 percent of TPOAb-positive patients at baseline developed hypothyroidism vs 14.5 percent of TPOAb-negative patients (p < 0.001). On average, TD occurred after 25.8 ± 15.5 weeks of treatment. 87.2 percent of patients who developed hypothyroidism did so during the first therapeutic cycle (p = 0.004; OR = 3.52; 95 percent CI = 1.36-9.65). Patients infected with genotype 1 virus were 2.13 times more likely to develop hypothyroidism (p = 0.036; 95 percent CI = 1.04-4.38). Hypothyroid and DT patients presented higher TSH levels before-treatment than patients who had remained euthyroid (p < 0.001; p = 0.002, respectively). DT patients presented lower qALT (p = 0.012) than euthyroid patients. CONCLUSION: Hypothyroidism was the most frequent TD, especially during the first cycle of α-interferon. Genotype 1 virus was associated with a risk two times higher for developing the illness. There was no need to interrupt or to change HCV treatment. Therefore, approximately 34 percent of TD was transient.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Antiviral Agents/adverse effects , Hepacivirus/genetics , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Hypothyroidism/chemically induced , Interferon-alpha/adverse effects , Polyethylene Glycols/adverse effects , Ribavirin/adverse effects , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Autoantibodies/blood , Drug Therapy, Combination , Genotype , Hyperthyroidism/chemically induced , Interferon-alpha/therapeutic use , Prospective Studies , Polyethylene Glycols/therapeutic use , Recombinant Proteins/adverse effects , Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use , Ribavirin/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Occult hepatitis B infection is characterized by hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the serum in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We assessed occult HBV infection prevalence in two groups of immunocompromised patients (maintenance hemodialysis patients and HIV-positive patients) presenting HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc positive serological patterns, co-infected or not by HCV. Thirty-four hemodialysis anti-HIV negative patients, 159 HIV-positive patients and 150 blood donors who were anti-HBc positive (control group) were selected. HBV-DNA was detected by nested-PCR. Occult hepatitis B infection was not observed in the hemodialysis patients group but was found in 5 percent of the HIV-patients and in 4 percent of the blood donors. Immunosuppression in HIV positive patients was not a determining factor for occult HBV infection. In addition, no significant relationship between HBV-DNA and HCV co-infection in the HIV-positive patient group was found. A lack of significant associations was also observed between positivity for HBV-DNA and CD4 count, viral load and previous lamivudine treatment in these HIV-positive patients.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Hepatitis B/diagnosis , Immunocompromised Host/immunology , Renal Dialysis/adverse effects , Case-Control Studies , DNA, Viral/blood , HIV Infections/drug therapy , HIV Infections/immunology , Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood , Hepatitis B virus/genetics , Hepatitis B virus/immunology , Hepatitis B/immunology , Lamivudine/immunology , Lamivudine/therapeutic use , Prevalence , Viral LoadABSTRACT
Combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is considered the new standard therapy for naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of treatment with weight-based peginterferon alpha-2b (1.5 mg/kg per week) plus ribavirin (800-1,200 mg/day) for 48 weeks in naïve, relapser and non-responder (to previous treatment with interferon plus ribavirin) patients with chronic hepatitis C. Sixty-seven naïve, 26 relapser and 40 non-responder patients were enrolled. The overall sustained virological response (SVR) for the intention-to-treat population was 54 percent for naïve, 62 percent for relapser and 38 percent for non-responder patients. In the naïve subgroup, SVR was significantly higher in patients with the non-1 genotype (67 percent) compared to those with genotype 1 (45 percent). In relapsers and non-responders, SVR was, respectively, 69 percent and 24 percent in patients with genotype 1 and 43 percent and 73 percent in those with genotype non-1. There were no significant differences in SVR rates among the three body weight ranges (< 65 kg, 65-85 kg and > 85 kg) in any of the subgroups. Early virological response (EVR) was reached by 78 percent, 81 percent and 58 percent of naïve, relapser and non-responder patients, respectively, and among those with EVR, 63 percent, 67 percent and 61 percent, respectively, subsequently achieved SVR. All of the non-responder patients who did not have EVR reached SVR. Treatment was discontinued in 13 percent of the patients, due to loss to follow-up, hematological abnormalities or depression.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Antiviral Agents/administration & dosage , Body Weight , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Interferon-alpha , Ribavirin/administration & dosage , Drug Administration Schedule , Drug Therapy, Combination , Genotype , Hepacivirus/drug effects , Hepacivirus/genetics , Prospective Studies , RNA, Viral/blood , Treatment Outcome , Viral LoadABSTRACT
Among 29833 donors evaluated we have found a prevalence of 1.52 for HBsAg and 11 for anti-HBc. The co-positivity anti-HBc/anti-HBs in 2783 donors HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive was 81.9. The prevalence for HBsAg is low among Campinas donors, while anti-HBc presents high prevalence when compared to that of other countries. The anti-HCV detection in blood donors of Campinas has shown a positivity of 2.6 which is much higher than that of USA and Europe. About 36 of the anti-HCV positive donors are anti-HBc reagent, leading to the conclusion that these two "viruses" infect simultaneous or sequentially Brazilian blood donors.
Subject(s)
Humans , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/analysis , Hepatitis B Core Antigens/analysis , Blood Donors , Hepacivirus , Hepatitis Antibodies , Brazil , Hepatitis C AntibodiesABSTRACT
We have analysed anti-HBc and anti-HCV antibodies in serum samples from 799 donors which had their blood or derivates transfused to 111 recipients. Anti-HBc and anti-HCV were reactive in respectively 9 and 2.1 of the donors tested. We have observed that among the 111 recipients, 44 had received at least one positive anti-HBc unit and 67 had been transfused only with negative anti-HBc, units. The risk of developing hepatitis C virus was 4.5 times higher for the recipients who received at least one positive anti-HBc unit. If the test for anti-HBc had been made for the blood donors in the serological screening, about 56 of the HCV cases in the recipients could have been avoided. The population of recipients who received at least one reacting unit of anti-HCV, presented a risk 29 times higher of developing this hepatitis, as compared to the transfused recipients with all anti-HCV negative units. Testing blood from donors for anti-HCV would avoid 79 of the post-transfusional HCV cases. Brazilian candidates to blood donors seem to be carriers either simultaneously or sequentially to hepatitis virus B and C, since 44.4 of the positive anti-HCV were also positive for anti-HBc. Testing for anti-HBc and anti-HCV in blood screening must be indicated in order to prevent post-transfusional hepatitis transmission in our community.
Subject(s)
Humans , Hepatitis B Core Antigens/analysis , Hepacivirus , Hepatitis Antibodies , Hepatitis C , Blood Donors , Brazil , Hepatitis C Antibodies , Prospective Studies , Blood Transfusion/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections have been identified in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, although the clinical relevance of occult HBV infection remains controversial. We searched for serum HBV DNA in 106 HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive patients with chronic HCV infection and in 150 blood donors HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive/anti-HCV negative (control group) by nested-PCR. HCV genotyping was done in 98 patients and percutaneous needle liver biopsies were performed in 59 patients. Fifty-two patients were treated for HCV infection with interferon alone (n=4) or combined with ribavirin (n=48) during one year. At the end and 24 weeks after stopping therapy, they were tested for HCV-RNA to evaluate the sustained virological response (SVR). Among the 106 HCV-positive patients, 15 (14 percent) were HBV-DNA positive and among the 150 HCV-negative blood donors, 6 (4 percent) were HBV-DNA positive. Liver biopsy gave a diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in 2/10 (20 percent) of the HBV-DNA positive patients and in 6/49 (12 percent) of the HBV-DNA negative patients. The degree of liver fibrosis and portal inflammation was similar in HCV-infected patients HBV-DNA, irrespective of HBV-DNA status. SVR was obtained in 37.5 percent of the HBV-DNA positive patients and in 20.5 percent of the HBV-DNA negative patients; this difference was not significant. In conclusion, these data suggested that occult HBV infection, which occurs at a relatively high frequency among Brazilian HCV-infected patients, was not associated with more severe grades of inflammation, liver fibrosis or cirrhosis development and did not affect the SVR rates when the patients were treated with interferon or with interferon plus ribavirin.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , Hepatitis B/drug therapy , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Interferons/therapeutic use , Liver/virology , Ribavirin/therapeutic use , Biopsy, Needle , Case-Control Studies , DNA, Viral/analysis , Drug Therapy, Combination , Genotype , Hepatitis B virus/genetics , Hepatitis B/complications , Hepatitis B/pathology , Hepatitis C, Chronic/complications , Hepatitis C, Chronic/pathology , Liver/pathology , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
A determinacao dos niveis de alanina aminotransferase (ALT) tem sido util para o diagnostico de hepatopatias. Ultimamente, a elevacao dos niveis sericos de ALT em doadores de sangue, tem sido associada a um maior risco de hepatites pos-tranfusionais. Este estudo busca identificar os fatores associados com elevados niveis de ALT entre doadores voluntarios de sangue e avaliar as relacoes entre estes aumentos de ALT e o desenvolvimento de infeccao pelo virus da hepatite C. Assim, 116 doadores voluntarios de sangue com niveis de ALT elevados, quando da primeira doacao, foram estudados. Todos foram questionados sobre hepatopatias previas, exposicao a hepatites, exposicao a produtos quimicos, uso de drogas ou medicamentos, comportamento sexual, contacto com sangue ou secrecoes e consumo de alcool...
Subject(s)
Alanine Transaminase/analysis , Blood Donors , Hepatitis C/prevention & control , Abdomen , Follow-Up Studies , Hepatitis C Antibodies/immunology , Hepatitis C/diagnosis , Liver Diseases/diagnosis , Risk Factors , Blood Transfusion/adverse effectsABSTRACT
We have followed up 111 transfusion receptors in the ambulatory, for at least 180 days, in order to evaluate the occurrence of post-transfusional hepatitis and the etiological agents involved in the disease in the city of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil. At the end of the study we have diagnosed this hepatitis in 18 (16.2) subjects. Out of these 18 subjects, 16 (89) were caused by hepatitis C virus, 1 (5.5) caused by hepatitis B virus and 1 (5.5) with undetermined etiology, 15 months after transfusion. The average incubation period of HCV was 71 days and 23 of the HCV positive receptors remained with increased AST/ALT for more than 6 months. Late serum conversion was observed for anti-HCV in 71.4 of the subjects, averaging 135 days after the transfusion. An ALT dosage and anti-HCV determination, 3 and 6 months after transfusion would diagnose, respectively, 71 and 93 of the cases which developed post-transfusional HCV.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adolescent , Adult , Middle Aged , Hepatitis C , Blood Transfusion , Brazil , Hepatitis Antibodies , Follow-Up Studies , Hepacivirus , Hepatitis C Antibodies , Alanine TransaminaseABSTRACT
Listeriosis is a not uncommon infection in humans, usually associated with immunodeficient states and with newborns. However, relatively few cases have been reported in HIV-infected patients. This scarcity of reported cases has aroused interest in the association of listeriosis and AIDS. In this paper we present a case of meningitis and septicemia caused by Listeria monocytogenes in a female patient with AIDS. A review of recent medical literature indicates that association of listeriosis and AIDS may be more common than it seems. Recent research in host-parasite interaction in listerial infection suggests an important role for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and for integralin, a bacterial protein, in modulating listerial disease in AIDS patients. Inadequate diagnosis may be in part responsible for the scarcity of reports