Genotype Distribution and Characteristics of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine: The RESPOND-C Study

Overview

Journal Medicina (Kaunas)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2023 Sep 28

PMID 37763696

Authors

Ligita Jancoriene

Baiba Rozentale

Ieva Tolmane

Agita Jeruma

Riina Salupere

Arida Buivydiene

Jonas Valantinas

Limas Kupcinskas

Jolanta Sumskiene

Egle ciupkeviciene

Arvydas Ambrozaitis

Olga Golubovska

Larysa Moroz

Robert Flisiak

Borys Bondar

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Since 2013, highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has become available, with cure rates exceeding 95%. For the choice of optimal CHC treatment, an assessment of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT) and liver fibrosis stage is necessary. Information about the distribution of these parameters among CHC patients in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the Baltic states) and especially in Ukraine is scarce. This study was performed to obtain epidemiologic data regarding CHC GT and fibrosis stage distribution for better planning of resources and prioritization of patients for DAA drug treatment according to disease severity in high-income (the Baltic states) and lower-middle-income (Ukraine) countries. The retrospective RESPOND-C study included 1451 CHC patients. Demographic and disease information was collected from medical charts for each patient. The most common suspected mode of viral transmission was blood transfusions (17.8%), followed by intravenous substance use (15.7%); however, in 50.9% of patients, the exact mode of transmission was not clarified. In Ukraine (18.4%) and Estonia (26%), transmission by intravenous substance use was higher than in Lithuania (5%) and Latvia (5.3%). Distribution of HCV GT among patients with CHC was as follows: GT1-66.4%; GT3-28.1; and GT2-4.1%. The prevalence of GT1 was the highest in Latvia (84%) and the lowest in Ukraine (63%, < 0.001). Liver fibrosis stages were distributed as follows: F0-12.2%, F1-26.3%, F2-23.5%, F3-17.1%, and F4-20.9%. Cirrhosis (F4) was more prevalent in Lithuanian patients (30.1%) than in Estonians (8.1%, < 0.001). This study contributes to the knowledge of epidemiologic characteristics of HCV infection in the Baltic states and Ukraine. The data regarding the patterns of HCV GT and fibrosis stage distribution will be helpful for the development of national strategies to control HCV infection in the era of DAA therapy.

Citing Articles

Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infections Among Patients of Ukrainian Origin During the Influx of War Refugees to Poland.

Flisiak R, Zarebska-Michaluk D, Martonik D, Janocha-Litwin J, Berak H, Sitko M J Clin Med. 2025; 13(24.

PMID: 39768565 PMC: 11727857. DOI: 10.3390/jcm13247641.

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