Current status of hepatitis C virus infection in Korea.
Chronic liver disease, including liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has been a major cause of mortality in Korea. The prevalence rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in the general population of Korea are approximately 1 and 5%, respectively. The most common genotypes of HCV in Korea are 1b and 2a. The sustained virological response rates after antiviral therapies, including combined interferon-alpha and ribavirin, have been reported to be 38-59%. The annual incidence of HCC among HCV-related liver cirrhosis has been estimated at 5%, and approximately 12% of HCC is attributable to HCV and 68% to HBV in Korea. The mean age of patients with HCV-related HCC at the time of diagnosis was consistently 10 years older than that of patients with HBV-related HCC. Moreover, HCV-related HCC was accompanied by more advanced liver cirrhosis than HBV-related HCC. Coinfection with HBV seemed to increase the risk of developing HCC in chronic HCV infection. After the successful program of hepatitis B vaccination, HCV infection is now emerging as an important etiology of chronic liver disease in Korea, which warrants more detailed and large-scale studies.
Suh
Dong Jin
DJ
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Jeong
Sook-Hyang
SH
D000367:Age Factors; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006509:Hepatitis B; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D013045:Species Specificity
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012254:Ribavirin