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HCV infection in Poland
K Bielawski1, M Wlasiuk, M Truskolawska
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Provincial Infectious Diseases Hospital at Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Insights
This study found that 1.9% of the Polish population has Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection markers, with higher prevalence in men. This research provides a realistic estimate of HCV infection in Poland.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health concern.
- Hepatitis C became a statutorily notifiable disease in Poland in 1997.
- Limited data exists on HCV prevalence in the Polish general population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of HCV infection markers in an unselected Polish population.
- To assess the prevalence of anti-HCV IgG antibodies and HCV-RNA.
- To analyze the relationship between HCV markers and demographic factors.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples from 2,561 volunteers were collected after public advertisements for free testing.
- Anti-HCV IgG antibodies were detected using third-generation enzyme immunoassay.
- HCV-RNA was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in anti-HCV positive samples.
Main Results:
- Anti-HCV IgG was detected in 1.9% of subjects (48/2561).
- Prevalence was significantly higher in men (2.3%) than women (1.7%) (p=0.0057).
- HCV-RNA was present in 65% (31/48) of anti-HCV positive cases, with no significant demographic correlations.
Conclusions:
- This is the largest study on HCV prevalence in the general Polish population to date.
- Despite limitations like a non-randomized sample, results offer a realistic estimate of HCV infection.
- Findings contribute valuable data for public health strategies in Poland.
Background:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world. In 1997, hepatitis C became a statutorily noticeable disease in Poland. Nevertheless, to date, only a few notable studies on the prevalence of HCV infection have been carried out in Poland. Therefore, a study to determine the prevalence of HCV infection markers in an unselected population of Polish subjects was performed.
Methods:
After several advertisements (in the print media and on television, radio, and other public media) concerning free testing for all volunteers in a hospital laboratory, serum samples of 2,561 subjects (765 men and 1,796 women), with a mean age of 43 years (range 1-88 years), were collected and assessed. In the samples, we first tested for the presence of IgG anti-HCV antibodies using the third generation enzyme immunoassay Anti-HCV EIA Cobas(R) Core Test (Hoffmann La Roche, Basel, Switzerland). The determination of HCV-RNA was then performed on anti-HCV IgG-positive samples by qualitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) by automatic Cobas Amplicor (Roche Molecular Systems Hepatitis C Virus Test 2.0, Roche Molecular Systems, Nutley, NJ, USA).
Results:
The presence of anti-HCV IgG was detected in a total of 48 cases (1.9%). Prevalence was significantly higher in men (2.3%) than in women (1.7%) (p = 0.0057), but was not significantly related to the subject's age (p = 0.51) or domicile (p = 0.35). The presence of HCV-RNA was detected in 31 (65%) anti-HCV-positive cases tested, with no significant relationship to either the age (p = 0.15), domicile (p = 0.24), or gender (p = 0.79) of the subjects.
Conclusions:
To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest study on the prevalence of HCV infection in the general population in Poland. The study has several limitations, such as, the use of a nonrandomized population. Nevertheless, the results obtained may be more realistic and applicable to the general population in Poland than those obtained previously (i.e., in voluntary blood donors).