Population-wide Research for HBV-related Liver Diseases in Maoming City

Plain-language summary

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem and chronic HBV infection affects about 296 million people worldwide and is the leading etiology of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma globally. China takes up a great deal of the responsibility towards the goal of "eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030" released by the World Health Organization (WHO), as China has the world's largest burden of HBV infection. The current diagnostic rate barely reaches 24%, which is significantly short of the target diagnostic rate of 90% proposed by WHO. Progression from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) to hepatic complications-fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC-can be prevented significantly by preemptive antiviral therapy. However, the onset of CHB seldom manifests with typical symptoms, and most cases at their first diagnosis have progressed to end-stage liver diseases. Therefore, early detection of CHB and its complications that not only raises public awareness of preventing infection but also brings the patients into the management system is urgent blocking the progression to cirrhosis and HCC. The study is a prospective and observational study involving community-based screening of chronic HBV infection and related liver diseases systematically among the general population of Guangdong Province, China. Individuals in Maoming City, aged 20-70 years, will be enrolled in the screening group for the HBsAg screening using a finger blood test. Positive participants will receive further examinations including laboratory and imaging examinations to discover HBV-related liver diseases. The control group will be enrolled from the general population in two similar cities. By thoroughly investigating the epidemiological landscape and antiviral situation of chronic hepatitis B through population screening, this study intends to furnish the administration with updated epidemiological data. Additionally, the project seeks to establish a CHB screening cohort to enhance early diagnosis and treatment rates for both HBV-related liver diseases. Collectively, the study aspires to improve the overall prognosis for patients with chronic HBV infection, reduce CHB-related mortality, and ultimately put forward valuable healthcare insights and evidence-based medicine (EBM) practices for the effective implementation of CHB screening and management.

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