A study on clarifying the clinical natural course of Hepatitis C Virus carriers

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Our aim is to clarify the clinical natural course of HCV carriers without symptoms who were found at the occasion of donation of their blood or at their health check. We evaluated liver disease of 1019 individuals who were found with HCV infection at blood donation, and they were followed for 5-10 years with or without receiving interferon (IFN). This study we called is a "population based study". And the other hand, we check the cumulative rate for HCC from "hospital based case study" in the literatures. These results of this research can lead to basis and valuable data for preventing HCC in Japan.1) At the baseline, chronic hepatitis was detected in 529 (51.9%) HCV carriers and more frequently in men than women (62.6% vs. 42.5%, p < 0.01); cirrhosis was diagnosed in five (0.5%) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in one.2) Of the carriers who were followed for 5 years or longer, loss of HCV RNA from serum was achieved in 61 (31.0%) of the 197 treated with interferon (IFN) and only one of the 211 (0.5%) without IFN (p < 0.0001).3) HCC developed in 14 carriers including 6 of the 211 (2.8%) without IFN and 8 of the 197 (4.1%) with IFN (6 non-responders included). Follow-ups of the 949 carriers identified age (p < 0.002), male gender (p < 0.01) and cirrhosis at the baseline as factors contributing to the development of HCC.4) Cumulative incidence rates of HCC during 10 years among carriers found with chronic hepatitis increased in parallel with the age at the baseline. That is, cumulative HCC risk during 10 years was estimated at 18.7% (95% CI : 1.9-35.5%) for carriers aged 60 years or older, 8.7% (0-17.5%) for those in the fifties and 7.2% (0-15.5%) for those in the forties when they presented with chronic hepatitis at blood donation.