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Abstract Obesity is a global health problem and has been increasing in Egypt over the last several decades. A national population screening program for hepatitis C included screening for obesity. Here we report the outcome of body mass index (BMI) calculation for the screened population and for patients with hepatitis C. Methods Adults 18 years and older (a target population of 62.5 million) were invited to participate in a screening program between October 2018 and April 2019. Persons had their BMI calculated. All data were entered in real-time to a central database via cellular networks. BMI data for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection before starting direct antiviral therapy were obtained from the National Committee for the Control of Viral Hepatitis (NCCVH) Findings 49.6 million persons (25.6 million females and 24.0 million males) voluntarily participated and had valid height and weight data. 12.7 million females (49.51%) and 7.09 million males (29.53%) were affected by obesity (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2). Obesity increased with age, was more prevalent in females, was more prevalent in the Nile Delta states and in urban areas. Detailed district-level prevalence for the whole country is identified. Prevalence of obesity among 335,504 patients with HCV was higher in females, increased with age, and was significantly lower overall and in males and females than in the screened general population. Conclusion This is the largest population screening program for obesity. We show that obesity prevalence in the general population is currently among the highest in the world, starting in young adults, and highlight the high prevalence areas. Prevalence is lower in patients with HCV.

Abstract Background Outcome of HCV treatment with direct antiviral agents in malignant patients is questionable. The aim is to assess the safety and efficacy of DAAs in treatment of chronic HCV patients who received chemotherapy for malignancies. Materials Retrospective cohort study of 83 patients with HCV post chemotherapy receiving DAAs treatment compared to a matched group of 88 chronic HCV patients without cancer. Demographic, laboratory and abdominal ultrasound data, and SVR were taken for all patients. Results Patients’ data revealed mean age (52 years) and BMI (29). A total of 52% of HCV patients were females, and 83.6% were treatment naïve. Patients with cancer had higher FIB4 values and more cirrhosis (20.5% vs. 13.6%) with no statistical significance. Total bilirubin and HbA1C levels were significantly higher in HCV patients without cancer. All patients in either groups received SOF-based DAAs except 2 cases received PAR/OMP/RBV. SVR rate was very high and comparable between the two groups (100% and 97.7% in post chemotherapy and control groups) with no statistical difference. Mortality was represented in 23% in patients post chemotherapy with FIB4 score considered the only predictor for mortality. Conclusion DAAs have excellent efficacy in patients post chemotherapy. Further studies should be conducted for their concomitant use with chemotherapy.

Abstract Background and aims Micro-elimination of hepatitis C in renal patients is crucial. This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of directly acting antivirals in chronic kidney disease patients and the effect of treatment on kidney functions. Results This prospective cohort study included 77 chronic HCV-infected patients with chronic kidney disease. Patients were consented and treated for 12 weeks with either sofosbuvir and daclatasvir ± ribavirin if glomerular filtration rate was > 30 mL/min per 1.73m2 or ritonavir-boosted paritaprevir-ombitasvir-ribavirin if it was

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of SOF/DCV ± RBV in a cohort of Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC)-induced cirrhosis with decompensation (class B7–B9). Results After excluding the 9 patients who withdrew, SVR12 rate according to per protocol analysis was 82.9% (92/111), non-response and relapse rates were 2.7% (3/111) for each, 4 patients died secondary to hematemesis, and 8.1% stopped therapy due to worsening of Child’s class. SVR12 rate was significantly higher among patients with higher baseline WBCs count and lower among patients with Child-Pugh class B9. All treatment intolerant patients had ascites in pre-treatment assessment (P = 0.02). There was a significant decline in the levels of hemoglobin, ALT and AST, and serum bilirubin (P < 0.001) and a significant increase in albumin level (P < 0.001) at the end of treatment when compared to their pre-treatment levels. Follow-up of the three HCC did not show evidence of tumor recurrence. Conclusions The SOF/DCV combination ± ribavirin is an effective and safe regimen for patients with CHC induced cirrhosis with mild decompensation. Treatment did not increase the risk of HCC recurrence.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SLC10A1 gene, coding for a functional receptor of hepatitis B virus (HBV), sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP), may influence the susceptibility, outcome, and disease course of HBV infection in some populations. Aim: to determine the prevalence of SNPs of the NTCP gene, rs2296651 and rs943277, and their relationship with chronic HBV infection in a group of Egyptian patients. Methods: One hundred and thirty seven patients with HBV and 65 healthy controls were enrolled, and the patients were divided into two groups; group I chronic HBV infection (68 patients with normal ALT and minimal or no liver necroinflammation or fibrosis) and group II chronic hepatitis B (69 patients with elevated ALT and moderate or severe liver necroinflammation). They were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasound, and liver stiffness measurement using both Echosens® Fibroscan and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI). A real time PCR TaqMan 5′ allelic discrimination assay was applied to detect the SNPs in the NTCP gene, rs2296651 and rs943277. Results: On studying the rs2296651 variant, all controls and patients had genotype GG without any significant association with HBV infection or disease progression. However, the rs943277 variant in all controls and 98% of patients had genotype GA, except for two chronic HBV infection patients who had genotype AA, but no significant difference between patients and controls was found. The non-invasive methods for liver fibrosis assessment ARFI, AST/platelet’s ratio (APRI), and fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) could predict the stages of fibrosis in agreement with Fibroscan with AUCOR 0.8, 0.79, and 0.76, respectively. Conclusion: These findings may suggest that there is no relation between these SNPs of the NTCP gene and the susceptibility or chronicity of HBV infection in the Egyptian population. We also suggest that the use of the non-invasive methods for liver fibrosis assessment, ARFI, FIB-4, and APRI, may decrease the need for liver biopsies in the prediction of significant hepatic fibrosis in chronic HBV patients.

Background: The national committee for control of viral hepatitis (NCCVH) in Egypt, settled by the Ministry of health, treated over one million patients in around 60 centers with chronological changes in drug combinations. This research aims to study the health care facilities and services provided by NCCVH treatment centers in Egypt and explore hinders faced. Methods: A cross-sectional operational research study. Multistage random sampling technique was applied for Egyptian governorates. From each stratum one governorate was chosen from which one center was randomly selected. Quality of recorded data for each center in the central server (Data-oriented parameter), newly designed score to assess the overall performance of the centers was retrieved from computer based recording system. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by the centers head. Results: This study included 24 treatment centers from urban, rural areas, Upper and Lower Egypt. The Upper centers showed the best completeness of follow-up records and the least compliance rates. None of the centers had 100% completeness of follow-up data. Proportion of SVR is minimally less than proportion of patient with known outcome in all treatment centers. A novel indicator standardizing the comparisons of performance of different facilities was introduced: Total number of physicians/total number of SVR patients with completed records. The highest response rate: Monfiya Governorate (Lower Egypt), Aswan (Upper Egypt), Completeness of follow-up records: Kalyoubia (Lower Egypt), Sohag governorate (Upper Egypt). The average administrative score was 64%. Conclusion: Challenges of NCCVH program: overcrowdings, resistant sociocultural background among rural patients, limited accessibility for internal migrants and incompleteness of data entry are system lacking points. Strengths include, clear patient pathway, well-established database online application, well-trained physicians and treatment availability.

Aim of the study: The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different DAAs regimens in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) Egyptian patients who failed to achieve SVR after their treatment with SOF-based regimens. Methods: This was a retrospective observational multicenter study that included CHC patients that failed to achieve cure on SOF-based regimens who were re-treated using different DAAs regimen and were allocated according to national guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis C. Primary outcome was to assess the SVR12 rate among prior non-responders after retreatment with a second course of DAAs. Results: Our study included 172 patients who failed to achieve SVR after treatment with SOF-based treatment regimen [age: 51.2 ± 11.3, 58.7% men]. Included patients were retreated using SOF/DCV/RBV, SOF/ r/PAR /OMB /RBV, SOF/DCV/SIM, SOF/LDV ± RBV or SIM/SOF. SVR12 was successfully attained in 95.35% (164/172) of the included non-responders. Conclusion: The current multicenter study proved the efficacy of various DAAs regimens issued by the National Committee for Control of Viral Hepatitis for retreatment of relapsed CHC Egyptian patients.

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Introduction-Aim. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) has become an important focus of patient care and clinical outcomes research with the improvement in patient and graft survival after liver transplantation (LT). The current study was designed to evaluate the post-transplant HRQOL profiles using the Liver Disease Quality of Life 1.0 (LDQOL 1.0) Questionnaire and demonstrate the possible effect of peri-transplant clinical covariates on these profiles.Material and methods. Participants included pre-transplant group (waiting-list patients n = 50) and post-transplant group (mean 5 ± 4 years after deceased or living donor LT n = 103) who were recruited from 3 specialized centers in Egypt. We applied the LDQOL 1.0 questionnaire; a 111-item containing the Short Form-36 version 2.0 (SF-36v2) as a generic component supplemented by 75 disease-specific items. The etiology of cirrhosis, co-morbidities, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), Child-Pugh class and post-operative complications were analyzed.Results. All recipients had significant higher HRQOL scores than patients in waiting-list using both questionnaire components. Recipients with pre-LT MELD ≥ 15, Child-Pugh class C, history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) demonstrated low HRQOL scores. Recipients without post-operative surgical complications had a statistically better HRQOL using the disease-specific, but not the SF-36v2 component. On the other hand, both components demonstrated non-significant lower scores in recipients with rejection episodes, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and hepatitis C recurrence had compared to those without medical complications.Conclusion. Generally HRQOL improves dramatically after LT as assessed by LDQOL questionnaire. Moreover, combined questionnaires can provide accurate information about the possible impaired HRQOL post-LT due to pre-transplant disease severity and post-operative complications.

Background: Most hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in Egypt is related to medical injections and procedures. To control the spread of HCV, the Egyptian Ministry of Health initiated awareness and education campaigns, strengthened infection control in health-care facilities, and subsidised anti-HCV treatment. We aimed to investigate the effect of these interventions on the spread of HCV by mathematical modelling. Methods: We developed a mathematical model of HCV transmission in Zawyat Razin, a typical rural community. Our model assumes that each individual has two distinct types of medical procedures: injections and more invasive medical procedures. To quantify the severity of the spread of HCV, we used the notion of the basic reproduction number R0, a standard threshold parameter signalling whether transmission of an infectious disease is self-sustained and maintains an epidemic. If R0 is greater than 1, HCV is self-sustained; if R0 is 1 or less, HCV transmission is not self-sustained. We investigated whether heterogeneity in the rate of injection or invasive medical procedures is the determinant factor for HCV transmission and whether most iatrogenic transmission is caused by a small group of individuals who receive health-care interventions frequently. We then assessed whether interventions targeted at this group could reduce the spread of HCV. Findings: The R0 of the spread of HCV without treatment was 3·54 (95% CI 1·28–6·18), suggesting a self-sustained spread. Furthermore, the present national treatment programme only decreased R0 from 3·54 to 3·03 (95% CI 1·10–5·25). Individuals with high rates of medical injections seem to be responsible for the spread of HCV in Egypt; the R0 of the spread of HCV without treatment would be 0·64 (95% CI 0·41–0·93) if everybody followed the average behaviour. The effect of treatment on HCV transmission is greatly enhanced if treatment is provided a mean of 2·5 years (95% CI 0·1–9·2) after chronic infection and with drug regimens with more than 80% efficacy. With these treatment parameters, preventive and curative interventions targeting individuals with high rates of medical injections might decrease R0 below 1 for treatment coverage lower than 5%. Interpretation: Targeting preventive and curative interventions to individuals with high rates of medical injections in Egypt would result in a greater reduction the spread of HCV than would untargeted allocation. Such an approach might prove beneficial in other resource-limited countries with health-care-driven epidemics. Funding: Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA et les Hépatites Virales (ANRS 1211), ANR grant Labex Integrative Biology of Emerging Infectious Diseases.