title: High seroprevalence of HCV in the Abruzzo Region, Italy: results on a large sample from opt-out pre-surgical screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Available estimates of the prevalence of chronic HCV infection in Italy are quite conflicting, varying from 1.5 to 22.5%, with an apparent north to south gradient. As Direct Acting Antivirals are expensive, both National and local governmental Agencies are in urgent need of detailed and reliable estimates of HCV patients to be treated, nationwide and in each district. We investigated the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in a large unselected sample of surgical patients providing consent to in-hospital opt-out pre-surgical HCV screening, at two hospitals from the Abruzzo Region, Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were retrieved for 55,533 screened patients (4.1% of the total population in the Abruzzo Region), admitted in the Orthopedic and General Surgery wards of Pescara and Teramo Hospitals from 1999 to 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 4.4% in the total sample. HCV-positive patients had a mean age of 63.8 ± 19.9 years; 49.2% were males. From 1999 to 2014, the prevalence of HCV antibodies decreased from 5.4% to 4.1%; at both sites, however, two age-related-peaks were evidenced, the first among patients aged 30-49 years, the second among those older than 70 years. Statistical analyses confirmed a significant trend to decrease over time and a higher prevalence in Pescara and among males (all p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data retrieved from opt-out pre-surgical screening programs may allow inexpensive and easy-to-perform estimates of HCV seroprevalence from large samples of unselected patients with a well-defined provenience, which may turn useful for future treatment resource allocation.
authors.affiliation: Head, Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Ennio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polilli
authors.affiliation: Head, Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tontodonati
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.|Regional Healthcare Agency of Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Flacco
authors.affiliation: Head, Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ursini
authors.affiliation: Immunohematology and Transfusion, Apheresis Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Palmira
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Striani
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Unit, Teramo General Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Giammartino
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Unit, Avezzano General Hospital, Avezzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paoloni
authors.affiliation: Immunohematology and Transfusion Unit, Teramo General Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vallarola
authors.affiliation: Immunohematology and Transfusion Unit, Teramo General Hospital, Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella Lucidi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Pressanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fragassi
authors.affiliation: Immunohematology and Transfusion, Apheresis Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Accorsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.|Regional Healthcare Agency of Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Lamberto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manzoli
authors.affiliation: Head, Infectious Disease Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Via Fonte Romana 8, 65124, Pescara, Italy. parruti@tin.it.
authors.forename: Giustino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parruti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anti-HCV antibodies; Chronic hepatitis C; HCV prevalence; Opt-out pre-surgical screening