BACKGROUND/AIMS: The National Liver Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) has been implemented for the past 15 years in Korea. However, the actual clinical experience in Korea is inconsistent with the expectations of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance program. To evaluate the actual clinical situation of HCC diagnoses, we investigated disease severity in patients with HCC and the diagnostic environment. METHODS: From January 2011 to December 2015, all patients who were diagnosed with HCC in a single secondary hospital in Daejeon city were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Severity of HCC was evaluated according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system. RESULTS: Over the course of 5 years, 298 participants were enrolled. The mean age of participants was 64.0 years. Positive hepatitis B surface antigen was confirmed in 134 patients (45.0%), 35 patients (11.7%) tested positive for anti-hepatitis C virus antibody, and 93 patients (32.2%) had more than 40 g/day of alcohol consumption. The proportions of patients according to BCLC stages were as follows: BCLC-0, 28 patients (9.4%); BCLC-A, 42 patients (14.1%); BCLC-B, 26 patients (8.7%); BCLC-C, 134 patients (45.0%); and BCLC-D, 68 patients (22.8%). The diagnostic environments were as follows: 19 patients were in the NLCSP group (6.4%), 114 in the group with presenting signs (38.3%), 110 in the regular outpatient care group (36.9%), and 55 patients in the incidental diagnosis group (18.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients (67.8%) had advanced stage HCC at diagnosis, and curative treatment was not indicated due to the severity disease. Thus, the actual situation is far worse than the theoretical expectation of HCC surveillance, suggesting that many high-risk patients for HCC are missed in surveillance.
Alcohol Drinking ; Ambulatory Care ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms ; Mass Screening ; Retrospective Studies

Autoimmune liver diseases including autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are rare diseases. The aim of this review is to examine the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of AIH and PBC in South Korea. There were 4,085 patients registered as AIH in the Rare Intractable Disease Registry of Korea between 2009-2013, with a median age of 56 years and female-to male ratio of 6.4. The age-adjusted incidence and prevalence of AIH were 1.07/100,000/year and 4.82/100,000 persons, respectively. Among the patients, 1.1% underwent liver transplantation, and case fatality was 2.18%. Liver cirrhosis at diagnosis was accompanied in 23%; liver biopsy was performed in 75.2%, and prednisolone therapy or prednisolone and azathioprine combination therapy was done in 73% with a remission rate of 86%. There were 2,824 patients with PBC (≥20 years) registered in Korea between 2009-2013 with a median age of 57 years and female-to male ratio of 6.2. The age-adjusted incidence and prevalence of PBC were 0.86/100,000/year and 4.75/100,000 persons, respectively. Among the patients, 2.5% underwent liver transplantation, and case fatality was 2.2% with a 5-year transplantation-free survival of 95.4%. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was prescribed in 90% of the patients with a UDCA inadequate response rate of 30%. In conclusion, AIH and PBC are rare but mostly treatable diseases if diagnosed in the early stages. However, scarce data, low awareness, delayed diagnosis and non-availability of 2nd line therapeutics are important issues to be solved. Therefore, governmental support for research and drug development and nationwide cooperative studies are warranted.
Azathioprine ; Biopsy ; Cholangitis ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology* ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Prevalence ; Rare Diseases ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of HIV/HCV co-infection and explore the influence factors and their interaction on HIV/HCV co-infection of patient's access to methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Methods: A face to face interviews were conducted among 750 patients at two MMT clinics in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The questionnaires information included demographic characteristics, HIV and HCV infection status, history of drug abuse, urine test for morphine, high risk sex behaviors, needle sharing, dropped out etc. Methods of χ(2) test one-way, multivariate logistic regression and interactions were used to analyze the related factors of HIV/HCV co-infection. Results: The study subjects included 750 participants, 18.31% (127/691) of patients were co-infected with HIV and HCV. The HIV/HCV co-infection rate in patients who shared needles with others or dropped out of treatment was 35.84% (81/226) and 19.88% (64/322) respectively, which were higher than those who have never shared needles or dropped out (9.89%, 46/465 and 17.07%, 63/369). Logistic regression analysis results showed that after adjusted for confounding factors, patients who shared needles (OR=4.50, 95%CI: 2.72-7.43) and dropped out of treatment (OR=1.71, 95%CI: 1.04-2.80) were more likely to be infected with HIV/HCV. Interaction analysis showed that sharing needles and dropping out of treatment exist additive effect on co-infection of HIV and HCV (RERI=4.21, AP=0.44, SI=1.95). Conclusions: Needle sharing and dropping out of treatment are associated with HIV/HCV co-infection. Health education, psychological counseling and other measures should be taken to reduce needle sharing and dropping out of MMT.
China/epidemiology* ; Coinfection/epidemiology* ; Female ; HIV Infections/epidemiology* ; Hepatitis C/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Methadone/therapeutic use* ; Morphine ; Needle Sharing ; Opiate Substitution Treatment ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous/drug therapy* ; Substance-Related Disorders

OBJECTIVETo analyze the characteristics of health-seeking behaviors and related influencing factors of the community-based hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive adults, in China.

METHODSBased on the cohort formed by the HBsAg positive patients, in the national sero-survey project in 2006, we conducted a follow-up programs in 2010 and 2014. In the latest follow-up project, we carried out a cross-sectional study to collect information on health-seeking behaviors of the patients. Questionnaires would include information on clinic visits, diagnosis, regular physical examination and treatments,etc. We used the SPSS 18.0 software for data analysis.

RESULTSTotally, 2 478 HBsAg positive adults (≥18 years old) were followed through, with 34.4% (853/2 478) of them had visited the doctors and diagnosed after they were informed the status of HBsAg positivity, in the 2006-sero-survey program. Among patients who ever visiting the clinic, 51.2% (372/727) of them underwent at least medical examination once a year, with 31.5% (229/727) of them received treatment. Furthermore, 34.5% (79/229) of the treated patients adopted the traditional Chinese medicine or medicine for ' liver protection'. 56.8% (130/229) of the treated patients received antiviral drugs. Data from the binary logistic regression showed that the major influencing factors on clinic visits would include: age, level of education received and residencial areas (rural/urban).

CONCLUSIONSConsciousness on health was low in those community-based HBsAg positive people. Standerdized management and clinical treatment programs should be set up accordingly.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; psychology ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Hepatitis B ; blood ; diagnosis ; ethnology ; psychology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Residence Characteristics ; Rural Population ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant primary liver cancer in many countries and is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the Asia-Pacific region. The incidence of HCC is higher in men and in those over 40 years old. In the Asia-Pacific region, chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections are the main etiological agents; in particular, chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) is still the major cause in all Asia-Pacific countries except for Japan. Over the past two decades, the incidence of HCC has remained stable in countries in the region except for Singapore and Hong Kong, where the incidence for both sexes is currently decreasing. Chronic hepatitis C infection (CHC) is an important cause of HCC in Japan, representing 70% of HCCs. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of CHC has been increasing in many Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and India. Despite advancements in treatment, HCC is still an important health problem because of the associated substantial mortality. An effective surveillance program could offer early diagnosis and hence better treatment options. Antiviral treatment for both CHB and CHC is effective in reducing the incidence of HCC.
Australia ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Early Diagnosis ; Epidemiology* ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Incidence ; India ; Japan ; Liver Neoplasms ; Male ; Mortality ; New Zealand ; Prevalence ; Singapore

OBJECTIVEThis study explored the correlation of longitudinal changes in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels with the incidence of metabolic syndrome (Mets) based on a dynamic health examination cohort.

METHODSA Mets-free dynamic cohort involving 4541 participants who underwent at least three health examinations from 2006 to 2011 was included in the study. Mets was defined according to the Chinese Medical Association Diabetes Branch definition that included hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to analyze multivariate relative risk (RR) of repeated observations of ALT and AST in quartiles for Mets or its components according to gender.

RESULTSIn all, 826 Mets cases were reported. Adjustment of relevant parameters indicated that time-varying changes in ALT and AST levels were positively associated with the incidence of Mets in a dose-response manner. Positive association between high ALT levels and fatty liver was much stronger than that between high AST levels and fatty liver, particularly in male participants. These associations were consistently observed in the following subgroups: participants with ALT and AST levels of <40 U/L, participants with of <25 kg/m2, and participants with non-fatty liver. Furthermore, participants with 2 Mets components at baseline showed lower multivariate adjusted RRs of ALT and AST for Mets than participants with 0-1 Mets component.

CONCLUSIONThese results suggested that elevated serum ALT and AST levels were early biomarkers of Mets or its components.

Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Biomarkers ; blood ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Hepatitis ; complications ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; enzymology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study compared the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the Republic of Korea and estimated the high-risk regions and towns. METHODS: National Health Insurance Service data for 8 years from 2005 to 2012 were used. The subjects of the study had visited medical facilities and been diagnosed with or received treatment for acute or chronic HCV as a primary or secondary disease according to ICD-10 codes of B17.1 or B18.2, respectively. Any patient who received treatment for the same disease multiple times during 1 year was counted as one patient in that year. To correct for the effect of the age structure of the population by year and region, the age-adjusted prevalence was calculated using the direct method based on the registered population in 2010. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HCV infection among Korean adults (>20 years old) increased from 0.14% in 2005 to 0.18% in 2012. The sex-, age-, and region-adjusted prevalence in 2012 was 0.18%. The prevalence was highest in Busan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam, and there were towns with noticeably higher prevalences within these regions: Jindo (0.97%) in Jeonnam, Namhae (0.90%) in Gyeongnam, and Seo-gu (0.86%) in Busan. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HCV infection differs by regions as well as towns in the Republic of Korea, and is highest in Busan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam. The reasons for the high prevalence in these specific regions should be identified, since this could help prevent HCV infections in the future. In addition, active surveillance and treatment policies should be introduced to stop any further spread of infection in these high-prevalence regions.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Databases, Factual ; Female ; Hepatitis C/*diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Thyroid dysfunction (TD) is more likely to occur in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and is particularly associated with interferon (IFN) treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, outcomes, and risk factors for TD during pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) combined therapy in patients with CHC. METHODS: A total of 242 euthyroid patients with CHC treated with PEG-IFN/RBV were included. Thyroid function and autoantibodies were measured at baseline, and virologic response and thyroid function were assessed every 3 months during therapy. RESULTS: TD developed in 67 patients (27.7%) during the PEG-IFN/RBV treatment. The types of TD were subclinical hypothyroidism (50.7%), hypothyroidism (14.9%), thyroiditis (11.9%), subclinical hyperthyroidism (10.4%), and hyperthyroidism (10.4%). Most of the patients with TD recovered spontaneously; however, seven patients (10.4%) needed thyroid treatment. The sustained virological response rate was higher in patients with TD than those without (65.7% vs. 49.1%, p = 0.02). Baseline thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations (odds ratio [OR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.96 to 8.77; p < 0.001), presence of the thyroid peroxidase antibody (OR, 8.81; 95% CI, 1.74 to 44.6; p = 0.009), and PEG-IFNalpha-2b (OR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.43 to 6.39; p = 0.004) were independent risk factors for the development of TD. CONCLUSIONS: TD developed in 27.7% of patients with CHC during PEG-IFN/RBV treatment, and 10.4% of these patients needed thyroid treatment. TD is associated with a favorable virologic response to PEG-IFN/RBV. Assessment of TSH and thyroid autoantibodies at baseline and close monitoring of thyroid function during PEG-IFN/RBV therapy are necessary for early detection and management of IFN-induced TD.
Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents/*adverse effects ; Autoantibodies/blood ; Biomarkers/blood ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Interferon-alpha/*adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols/*adverse effects ; Recombinant Proteins/adverse effects ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Ribavirin/*adverse effects ; Thyroid Diseases/*chemically induced/diagnosis/epidemiology/immunology/physiopathology ; Thyroid Gland/*drug effects/immunology/physiopathology ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Asia is 0.5% to 4.7%, with three different genotypes predominating, depending on the geographic region: genotype 1b in East Asia, genotype 3 in South and Southeast Asia, and genotype 6 in Indochina. Official approval for direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in Asia lags significantly behind that in the West, such that in most countries the mainstay of therapy is still pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PR). Because the interleukin-28B genetic variant, associated with a high sustained virologic response (SVR), is common in Asians, this treatment is still acceptable in Asian patients with HCV infections. A roadmap for HCV therapy that starts with PR and takes into account those DAAs already approved in some Asian countries can provide guidance as to the best strategies for management, particularly of genotype 1 and 3 infections, based on SVR rates. Sofosbuvir and PR are likely to be the initial therapies for genotype 1 and 3 disease, although in the former these drugs may be suboptimal in patients with cirrhosis (62% SVR) and the extension of treatment to 24 weeks may be required. For difficult to treat genotype 3 infections in treatment-experienced patients with cirrhosis, a combination of sofosbuvir and PR result in an 83% SVR and is, therefore, currently the optimal treatment regimen. Treatment failure is best avoided since data on rescue therapies for DAA failure are still incomplete.
Antiviral Agents/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Asia/epidemiology ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus/*drug effects/genetics ; Hepatitis C/diagnosis/*drug therapy/epidemiology/genetics ; Humans ; Interleukins/genetics ; National Health Programs ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Prevalence ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite sexual function making an important contribution to the quality of life, data on erectile function are relatively scant in patients with chronic liver disease. We evaluated the prevalence of and risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with liver disease related to hepatitis B, especially among those with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or early-stage cirrhosis. METHODS: In total, 69 patients (35 with CHB and 34 with hepatitis-B-related liver cirrhosis [HBV-LC]) aged 40-59 years were analyzed. Child-Pugh classes of A and B were present in 30 (88.2%) and 4 (11.8%) of the patients with HBV-LC, respectively. The erectile function of the patients was evaluated using the Korean version of IIEF-5. RESULTS: The prevalence of any ED was 24.6% for all patients, and 8.6% and 41.2% for those with CHB and HBV-LC, respectively (P=0.002). While there was only one (2.9%) CHB patient for each stage of ED, mild, moderate, and severe ED stages were seen in three (8.8%), one (2.9%), and ten (29.4%) of the HBV-LC patients, respectively. Multiple regression analysis identified the type of liver disease (P=0.010), hypertension (P=0.022), score on the Beck Depression Inventory (P =0.044), and the serum albumin level (P=0.014) as significant independent factors for the presence of ED. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ED was significantly higher in patients with early-stage HBV-LC than in those with CHB. Therefore, screening male patients with early viral cirrhosis for ED and providing appropriate support are needed, especially when the cirrhosis is accompanied by hypertension, depression, or a depressed level of serum albumin.
Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction/*diagnosis/epidemiology/*etiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*complications/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypertension/complications ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications/diagnosis/*etiology ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Serum Albumin/analysis ; Severity of Illness Index