Features of hepatitis C virus infection, current therapies and ongoing clinical trials in ten Asian Pacific countries.
Estimated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates in the general populations were 1.3, 0.9, 0.4-1.0, 14.7, 0.1-0.3, 0.9-1.9, 1.0-2.0, 5, 4.4-8.6 and 0.5-1.3 % in Australia, Bangladesh, Mainland China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey, respectively. The main HCV genotypes (Gs) are G1, G3, G1b, G4, G1b, G3, G1b, G3, G1b and G2, and G1 in Australia, Bangladesh, Mainland China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey, respectively. Of IL28B genotypes, favorable alleles are ~50 % in Australia and Turkey, but 60-70 % in most of the other Asian countries. Peginterferon plus ribavirin is available in all ten Asian Pasific countries. In addition, HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors with peginterferon plus ribavirin are currently available in several countries. Clinical trials of interferon-free regimens for HCV are ongoing in most of the ten Asian Pacific countries.
Yamanashi Hospitals (Central and Kita) Organization, 1-1-1 Fujimi, Kofu-shi, Yamanashi, 400-8506, Japan. momata-tky@umin.ac.jp.|University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan. momata-tky@umin.ac.jp.
Masao
M
Omata
Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8677, Japan. kandat-cib@umin.ac.jp.
Tatsuo
T
Kanda
Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8677, Japan. yokosukao@faculty.chiba-u.jp.
Osamu
O
Yokosuka
University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia. d.crawford@uq.edu.au.
Darrell
D
Crawford
Department of Hepatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh. shwapnil@agni.com.
Mamun
M
Al-Mahtab
Peking University People's Hospital, Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing, China. weilai@pkuph.edu.cn.
Lai
L
Wei
GI/Liver Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Benha, Benha, Egypt. alaabkbs@yahoo.com.
Alaaeldin
A
Ibrahim
Humanity and Health Medical Centre, Hong Kong SAR China Institute of Translational Hepatology and Centre of Liver Fibrosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center, 302 Hospital, Beijing, China. gkklau@vip.126.com.
George K K
GK
Lau
Department of Gastroenterology, G.B. Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India. drbcsharma@hotmail.com.
Barjesh C
BC
Sharma
Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University and Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan. saeed.hamid@aku.edu.
Saeed S
SS
Hamid
Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. waloch@kmu.edu.tw.
Wan-Long
WL
Chuang
Department of Gastroenterology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. akdokmeci@hotmail.com.
A Kadir
AK
Dokmeci
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044362:Australasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005202:Asia, Eastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D014943:Global Health; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends
D000998:Antiviral Agents
Asian Pacific countries; Direct-acting antivirals; HCV; IL28B