Liver disease in hepatitis C virus carriers identified at blood donation and their outcomes with or without interferon treatment: Study on 1019 carriers followed for 5-10 years.
OBJECTIVE
To portray liver disease and project outcomes in carriers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the general population.


METHODS
Liver disease was evaluated in 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).


RESULTS
At baseline, chronic hepatitis was detected in 529 (51.9%) HCV carriers and more frequently in men than in women (62.6% [299/478]vs 42.5% [230/541], P < 0.01); cirrhosis was diagnosed in five (0.5% [three men included]) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in one (0.1% [man]). 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). HCC developed in 14 carriers including six ofthe 211 (2.8%) without IFN and eight of the 197 (4.1%) with IFN (six non-responders included). Follow ups of the 949 carriers identified age (P < 0.002), male gender (P < 0.01) and cirrhosis at the baseline (P < 0.0001) as factors contributing to the development of HCC. Cumulative incidence rates of HCC during 10 years among carriers found with chronic hepatitis increased in parallel with the age at the baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
Identification of HCV carriers in the general population and treating those indicated with IFN would help decrease the development of HCC and lift its medical, as well as economic, burdens off society.
Mizui
Masaaki
M
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross, Hiroshima Blood Center, Hiroshima, Japan.
Tanaka
Junko
J
Katayama
Keiko
K
Nakanishi
Toshio
T
Obayashi
Makoto
M
Aimitsu
Shiomi
S
Yoshida
Tomoo
T
Inoue
Junichi
J
Yokoyama
Tatsuji
T
Tsuji
Keiji
K
Arataki
Keiko
K
Yamaguchi
Syuji
S
Miura
Toshio
T
Kitamoto
Mikiya
M
Takezaki
Eiichi
E
Orimen
Shigeo
S
Sakata
Tatsurou
T
Kamada
Kouji
K
Maruhashi
Akira
A
Tamura
Tooru
T
Nakamura
Toshio
T
Ishida
Kunio
K
Teramen
Kazushi
K
Miyakawa
Yuzo
Y
Yoshizawa
Hiroshi
H