TY - JOUR
T1 - Mortality in patients with chronic and cleared hepatitis C viral infection: a nationwide cohort study
AU - Omland, Lars Haukali
AU - Krarup, Henrik
AU - Jepsen, Peter
AU - Georgsen, Jørgen
AU - Harritshøj, Lene Holm
AU - Riisom, Kirsten
AU - Jacobsen, Svend Erik Hove
AU - Schouenborg, Per
AU - Christensen, Peer Brehm
AU - Sørensen, Henrik Toft
AU - Obel, Niels
AU - Bangsborg, Jette Marie
AU - DANVIR Cohort Study
N1 - Copyright 2010 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PY - 2010/7/1
Y1 - 2010/7/1
N2 - Background & Aims: It is unknown whether mortality differs between patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication and those who cleared the virus after infection. We examined the impact of chronic HCV replication on mortality among Danish patients testing positive for HCV antibodies. Methods: This nationwide cohort study focused on Danish patients with at least one HCV RNA measurement available after testing positive for HCV antibodies between 1996 and 2005. To capture long-term prognosis, eligible patients needed to be alive 1 year after HCV RNA assessment. We estimated mortality rate ratios (MRRs) using Cox regression (for overall mortality) and subdistribution hazard ratios (SDHRs) for cause-specific mortality, controlling for gender, age, comorbidity, calendar period, alcohol abuse, injection drug use, and income. Results: Of the 6292 patients under study, 63% had chronic HCV-infection and 37% had cleared the virus. Five-year survival was 86% (95% confidence interval (CI): 84-87%) in the chronic HCV group and 92% (95% CI: 91-94%) in the cleared HCV group. Chronic HCV-infection was associated with higher overall mortality (MRR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.28-1.86) and liver-related death (SDHR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.51-3.88). Chronic HCV-infection greatly increased the risk of death from primary liver cancer (SDHR: 16.47, 95% CI: 2.24-121.00). Conclusions: Patients with chronic HCV-infection are at higher risk of death than patients who cleared the infection. The substantial association found between chronic HCV-infection and death from primary liver cancer supports early initiation of antiviral treatment in chronically HCV-infected patients.
AB - Background & Aims: It is unknown whether mortality differs between patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication and those who cleared the virus after infection. We examined the impact of chronic HCV replication on mortality among Danish patients testing positive for HCV antibodies. Methods: This nationwide cohort study focused on Danish patients with at least one HCV RNA measurement available after testing positive for HCV antibodies between 1996 and 2005. To capture long-term prognosis, eligible patients needed to be alive 1 year after HCV RNA assessment. We estimated mortality rate ratios (MRRs) using Cox regression (for overall mortality) and subdistribution hazard ratios (SDHRs) for cause-specific mortality, controlling for gender, age, comorbidity, calendar period, alcohol abuse, injection drug use, and income. Results: Of the 6292 patients under study, 63% had chronic HCV-infection and 37% had cleared the virus. Five-year survival was 86% (95% confidence interval (CI): 84-87%) in the chronic HCV group and 92% (95% CI: 91-94%) in the cleared HCV group. Chronic HCV-infection was associated with higher overall mortality (MRR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.28-1.86) and liver-related death (SDHR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.51-3.88). Chronic HCV-infection greatly increased the risk of death from primary liver cancer (SDHR: 16.47, 95% CI: 2.24-121.00). Conclusions: Patients with chronic HCV-infection are at higher risk of death than patients who cleared the infection. The substantial association found between chronic HCV-infection and death from primary liver cancer supports early initiation of antiviral treatment in chronically HCV-infected patients.
KW - Adult
KW - Cohort Studies
KW - Denmark
KW - Female
KW - Hepacivirus
KW - Hepatitis C
KW - Hepatitis C, Chronic
KW - Humans
KW - Kaplan-Meier Estimate
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - RNA, Viral
KW - Virus Replication
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhep.2010.01.033
DO - 10.1016/j.jhep.2010.01.033
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 20400197
SN - 0168-8278
VL - 53
SP - 36
EP - 42
JO - Journal of Hepatology
JF - Journal of Hepatology
IS - 1
ER -