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Tai CM, Yu ML. Hepatitis C virus micro-elimination in people who inject drugs: Challenges and chance in Taiwan and worldwide. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2024; 40:112-118. [PMID: 38010851 DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
With the introduction of direct-acting antivirals, elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is becoming possible. People who inject drugs (PWID) represent a population with a high risk for HCV infection, which has been reported as high as 90% in Taiwanese PWID. To reach the goal of HCV elimination, PWID is a key population deserving special attention. Barriers in HCV care cascade still exist in PWID, and interventions to promote access to HCV diagnosis, link-to-care, treatment, and prevention for PWID are warranted. Although HCV micro-elimination can be achieved in some prisons and opioid substitution therapy (OST) centers by a multidisciplinary team and integrated care in Taiwan, there are still several unmet needs for HCV elimination in PWID. Continuous efforts, such as the participation of OST specialists and the continuum of care for HCV among PWID, are needed to achieve HCV elimination in Taiwan. In addition, the combination of harm reduction services, treatment as prevention and regular posttreatment HCV surveillance is critical to substantially reduce HCV transmission and prevalence in PWID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Ming Tai
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine for International Students, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Lung Yu
- School of Medicine and Doctoral Program of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medicine and Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine and Hepatitis Research Center, College of Medicine, and Center for Liquid Biopsy and Cohort Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Tsai YC, Yu ML, Ko CY, Hsin YH, Tsai QZ, Huang CW. Treatment effectiveness and side effects of patients with hepatitis C in the prisons of Southern Taiwan: a real-life retrospective analysis. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e070490. [PMID: 37286314 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hepatitis C is an important risk factor for cirrhosis and liver cancer in the Taiwanese population. Domestic prisons reported a higher rate of hepatitis C infection than the national average. Efficient and effective treatment of patients with hepatitis C in prisons is required to decrease the number of infections. This study analysed the effectiveness of hepatitis C treatment and its side effects in prison patients. DESIGN This retrospective analysis included adult patients with hepatitis C who received direct-acting antiviral agents between 2018 and 2021. SETTING The special hepatitis C clinics in the two prisons were run by a medium-sized hepatitis C treatment hospital in Southern Taiwan. Three direct-acting antiviral agents, sofosbuvir/ledipasvir for 12 weeks, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for 8 or 12 weeks and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for 12 weeks, were adopted based on patient characteristics. PARTICIPANTS 470 patients were included. OUTCOME MEASURE The sustained virological response at 12 weeks after the end of treatment was compared between the different groups. RESULTS Most of the patients were men (70.0%) with a median age of 44 years. The most prevalent hepatitis C virus genotype was genotype 1 (44.26%). A total of 240 patients (51.06%) had a history of injectable drug use; 44 (9.36%) and 71 (15.11%) patients were coinfected with hepatitis B virus and HIV, respectively. Only 51 patients (10.85%) had liver cirrhosis. Most patients (98.30%) had normal renal function or no history of kidney disease. The patients had a sustained virological response achievement rate of 99.2%. The average incidence of adverse reactions during treatment was approximately 10%. Many of the adverse reactions were mild and resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSION Direct-acting antiviral agents are effective for treating hepatitis C in Taiwanese prisoners. These therapeutics were well-tolerated by the patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chi Tsai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Lung Yu
- School of Medicine and Doctoral Program of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medicine and Center of Excellence for Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospitall; College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chou-Yuan Ko
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsiang Hsin
- Aviation Physiology Research Laboratory, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital Gangshan Branch, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Qi-Zhang Tsai
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Wei Huang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Tajen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Supportive Interventions During Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C: A Review of the Literature. Gastroenterol Nurs 2021; 43:E172-E183. [PMID: 33003028 DOI: 10.1097/sga.0000000000000488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
There are an estimated 3 million people living with chronic hepatitis C, yet many have limited access to healthcare and treatment due to a variety of behavioral/lifestyle determinants of health. The aim of this literature review was to examine care models and innovations for people successfully treated from 2011 to 2018. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL to identify care models for people undergoing treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Ten articles met criteria for inclusion and included multiple types of care models, including nurse initiated (n = 2), telemedicine care (n = 3), group visit (n = 1), concurrent treatment (n = 1), community health center care (n = 1), and integrated care (n = 2). Eight of the studies focused on people with mental health challenges and/or substance use disorder. Sustained virological response was the primary outcome of all studies; adherence was a secondary outcome measured in 8 studies.This search occurred during a period where treatment moved from interferon-based therapy to all-oral direct-acting antiviral medications, representing a paradigm shift in treatment of chronic hepatitis C. As new treatments offer cure for up to 95% of patients, these studies provided strong evidence of benefit for innovative care models for patients with mental health and substance use disorder to complete treatment.
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Yang TH, Fang YJ, Hsu SJ, Lee JY, Chiu MC, Yu JJ, Kuo CC, Chen CH. Microelimination of Chronic Hepatitis C by Universal Screening Plus Direct-Acting Antivirals for Incarcerated Persons in Taiwan. Open Forum Infect Dis 2020; 7:ofaa301. [PMID: 32818142 PMCID: PMC7423289 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Incarcerated persons are a special population with higher hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence and should be prioritized for microelimination. In this study, we investigate the seroprevalence and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy in custodial settings. Methods Incarcerated persons in Yunlin Prison were recruited to receive anti-HCV antibody screening. Patients with positive HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) were treated with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) in our special chronic hepatitis C (CHC) clinic in prison. The primary endpoint was sustained virologic response at week 12 off therapy (SVR12). Results A total of 1402 incarcerated persons were invited to anti-HCV screening and 824 (58.7%) accepted. The prevalence of anti-HCV positivity was 33.5% (276 of 824), and the viremic rate (detectable HCV RNA) was 69.2% (191 of 276). According to fibrosis index based on 4 factors, patients with F3 stage were 6 (3.1%), but none met the criteria of F4 stage. However, 6 (3.1%) had liver cirrhosis with splenomegaly, confirmed by findings of ultrasonography. The median log10 HCV RNA level at baseline was 6.235 (2.394–7.403). Genotype (GT) 6 was predominant (39.3%), followed by GT 1a (22.0%) and 1b (14.1%). Mixed GT HCV infection accounted for 3.6% of total infections. In total, 165 patients received GLE/PIB therapy. The overall SVR12 rates were 100%. Conclusions Direct-acting antiviral therapy is highly effective and safe for incarcerated patients in Taiwan. Our special prison-based CHC clinic, linking universal screening to medical care, can serve as a model for microelimination of HCV in custodial settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Hua Yang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,Hepatology Medical Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jen Fang
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,Hepatology Medical Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jer Hsu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,Hepatology Medical Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan
| | - Ji-Yuh Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,Hepatology Medical Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan
| | - Min-Chin Chiu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,Hepatology Medical Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan
| | - Jian-Jyun Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,Hepatology Medical Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Chi Kuo
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,Hepatology Medical Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hung Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
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Tai CM, Yen YC, Bair MJ, Tseng CH, Chang TT, Huang CF, Yeh ML, Dai CY, Chuang WL, Yu ML, Huang JF. Integrated care for methadone maintenance patients with hepatitis C virus infection. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2019; 35:501-507. [PMID: 31087764 DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) are neither examined nor treated for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We aimed to evaluate an integrated referral model in the management of HCV among MMT patients. This retrospective study included 390 HCV-infected MMT patients between April 2015 and May 2017. Patients who tested positive for HCV antibodies were referred to a liver clinic by MMT case managers or psychiatrists. Patients who agreed to receive anti-HCV treatment were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. The rate of patient engagement at a liver clinic increased from 14.1% to 58.2% after integrated care. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that higher education level (odds ratio [OR], 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-2.60) and elevated ALT level (OR, 4.30; 95% CI, 2.70-6.85) were independently associated with patients who accepted referral. Active drug use (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.31-0.85) was inversely associated with referral acceptance. Of the 112 patients who met the criteria for anti-HCV therapy, 66 (58.9%) were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Finally, the rate of treatment completion and sustained virological response (SVR) was 65.2% and 54.5%, respectively, among the 66 patients. Treatment completion (OR, 39.67; 95% CI, 7.80-201.62) was found to be the only independent factor associated with SVR achievement. Although integrated care by psychiatrists and hepatologists significantly increased the rates of engagement and acceptance of antiviral treatment for HCV-infected MMT patients, only a minority of MMT patients achieved successful treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Ming Tai
- Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chieh Yen
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Jong Bair
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.,Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hao Tseng
- Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Ting Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Feng Huang
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Lun Yeh
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yen Dai
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Long Chuang
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Lung Yu
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Lipid Science and Aging Research Center, and Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jee-Fu Huang
- Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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