title: [Epidemiologic and situational panorama of hepatitis C in Mexico].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiological situation of Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) in our country.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Chronic Hepatitis C affects 170 million people worldwide, and about 0.7% of Mexican population. There is no enough epidemiological information about CHC in our country, and it is very probable that some cases are not even detected.
  
  
  METHODS
  An investigation poll was performed. Age, gender, birthday, weight, race, residence and birth place, routes of transmission, ALT levels, histological, serological and molecular diagnosis, evidence of complications and previous treatments were recorded. A data recollection sheet was dispatched to different country provinces; they had 6 months to answer it, in order to recollect all information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  831 patients were analized (58.6% female and 41.4% male) with the following distribution in our country provinces: Aguascalientes 15, Chihuahua 12, Distrito Federal 495, Durango 10, Jalisco 89, Guanajuato 78, Yucatán 8, Querétaro 11, Sonora 40, Tabasco 15, Baja California 5, Veracruz 13, Tamaulipas 2 and 38 patients of Nuevo León. The highest incidence of CHC was found at fifth and sixth decade of life (28.5% y 26.7% respectively. The weight distribution was 36.2% < 65kg, 34.6% 65-75 kg and 29.2% > 75 kg. 86.5% had chronic hepatitis and 13.2% cirrhosis. The risk factors for HCV infection analysis showed that the main route of transmission was via contaminated blood (64.2%); when we excluded the patients that were exposed before 1995, the incidence was lowered to 4.5%. The higher incidence was showed between 1970 and 1990 (68%). The intravenous drug users were predominantly male and on those patients in the provinces near the north border line of our country. The predominant genotype was gen- 1 no matter the province (72.2%), in the intravenous drug users genotype 3 was found in 25%. The viral load was similar in all the provinces. 75% of the patients had have treatment and 22.5% had have two cycles, 50% of cirrhotic patients had have treatment whereas only 28% of the patients with late complications had have it. The most common treatment was pegylated alpha-2a interferon plus ribavirine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. The main route of transmission was blood transfusion. There is a marked decrease in the incidence of post-transfusional hepatitis since the introduction of anti-VHC antibody screening of blood donors (4.5%). 2. The time between the infection and diagnosis was 23 years for chronic hepatitis and 26 years for cirrhosis. 3. Intravenous drugs use was an important route of transmission in the north of our country. 4. The predominant genotype was gen-1. 5. Almost all the patients with chronic hepatitis received treatment, the most common used was pegylated interferon alpha-2a and ribavirin. 6.50% of the patients with CHC have late complications.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), México. lizvera@prodigy.net.mx
authors.forename: Lizeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vera de León
authors.forename: Jesús Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Juárez Navarro
authors.forename: Marcelino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz Gómez
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Méndez Navarro
authors.forename: Ruby Ann
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Chirino Sprung
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dehesa Violante
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casillas Davila
authors.forename: María Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rizo Robles
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torres Ibarra
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cano Domínguez
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nava Estrada
authors.forename: Mayra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramos Gómez
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wong González
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Félix Tamayo
authors.forename: M Del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Corona Lechuga
authors.forename: Alma Rosa
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zárate Negrete
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rangel Jiménez
authors.forename: Heriberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Hernández
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: González Ortiz
authors.forename: Martha Patricia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tirado Estrella
authors.forename: María Los de Angeles
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Villanueva Carreto
authors.forename: Raymundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orta Flores
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Manteca Argumedo
authors.forename: Isidro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vázquez Avila
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González Macias
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Razcón Hernández
authors.forename: Pastora
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torres López
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bazán Pérez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies