A Comprehensive HBsAg-positive Patients Centered Screening Strategy

Plain-language summary

HBV(hepatitis B virus) /HCV(hepatitis C virus) co-infection may accelerate liver disease progression and increase the risk of HCC(Hepatocellular Carcinoma)development. It is reported HCV co-infection harmfully affects liver fibrosis in HBV patients, while decompensated cirrhosis is increased in co-infected patients compared with HBV- or HCV- mono-infected patients. One meta-analysis having pooled 39 studies performed in China reported that around 5% of HCC was associated with HCV infection alone and 6% with co-infection of HBV + HCV. However, the exact prevalence of HCV infection in HBsAg(Hepatitis B virus surface antigen)(+) cohort is actually unknown. It is estimated to be between 0.7% and 16%, a percentage that varies over a wide range among several studies from literature, mainly depending on different geographical distribution and study population. However, in regions where HBV is endemic, such as China with a HBsAg positive rate of 7.18%, the probability of co-infection increases due to a similar transmission route, especially in patients with high risk of HCV infection, like dialysis, HIV infection, organ transplantation, sex workers, drug abuser, tattoo, piercing, blood donation, history of scaling or dental filling, HCV family history and so on. As for China, the awareness of HCV infection is much lower than HBV because the occult of HCV infection, also because governments as well as medical authorities didn't input enough resources to disease education. Up to now, the national HCV elimination in China is daunting because of barriers in HCV awareness/link to care, and lack of well-established strategies. On the contrary, HBV infection has been widely known and educated to general population. As an add-on benefit, it might be relatively easier to conduct HCV screening test among those HBsAg-positive population. HCV elimination in high-risk subgroups from the basis in HBV population can be achieved with greater possibility and such model could be further shared to health care societies.

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