A review of the burden of hepatitis C virus infection in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan
Journal
Hepatology International
Journal Volume
9
Journal Issue
3
Pages
378-390
Date Issued
2015
Author(s)
Bennett H.
Waser N.
Johnston K.
Lim Y.-S.
Duan Z.-P.
Lee Y.-J.
Wei L.
Chen C.-J.
Sievert W.
Yuan Y.
Li H.
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with substantial clinical and economic burden and is an important public health issue in Asia. The objective of this review was to characterize HCV epidemiology and related complications in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. A search of electronic databases and conference abstracts identified 71 potentially relevant articles. Of those, 55 were included in the epidemiology review and 9 in the review of HCV-related complications. HCV prevalence in the general population was 1.6?% in China, 0.6–0.9?% in Japan, 0.6–1.1?% in South Korea and 1.8–5.5?% in Taiwan. Prevalence was higher for injecting drug users (48–90?%) and those with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection (32–85?%) and was lower for blood donors (<1?%). Annual incidence of HCV in China was 6.01 per 100,000. HCV genotype 1b was associated with the highest incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Five-year survival for patients with liver cirrhosis was 73.8?%, decreasing to 39.2?% following liver transplantation; the majority of deaths were attributable to HCC. Limitations were that the majority of studies included in the epidemiology review were small, regional studies conducted in specific populations, and there was an absence of large population-based studies. Thus, estimates may not be representative of the epidemiology of HCV for each country. The prevalence HCV in China and HCV incidence in the Asian region remain largely unknown, and they are likely underestimated. Further epidemiologic and clinical data are needed to provide more precise estimates for use by public health agencies. ? 2015, Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver.
Subjects
Complications of HCV infection; Epidemiology; Genotype; Hepatitis C virus; Incidence; Prevalence
SDGs
Other Subjects
age distribution; ascites; blood donor; body mass; China; comorbidity; disease association; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; epidemiological data; esophagus varices; hepatic encephalopathy; hepatitis C; Hepatitis C virus subtype 1b; high risk population; human; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; hypertension; incidence; insulin resistance; intravenous drug abuse; Japan; liver cell carcinoma; liver cirrhosis; mixed infection; mortality; nonhuman; population research; prevalence; priority journal; randomized controlled trial (topic); reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; Review; sex difference; South Korea; survival rate; systematic review; Taiwan; China; complication; cost of illness; hepatitis C; Japan; South Korea; Taiwan; China; Cost of Illness; Hepatitis C; Humans; Incidence; Japan; Prevalence; Republic of Korea; Taiwan
Publisher
Springer India
Type
review