Fu Hsiung Su

Association of Hepatitis C Virus Infection With Risk of ESRD: A Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND The association between chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has been widely debated. STUDY DESIGN National population-based cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Insurance claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database in 2000-2005. PREDICTOR Chronic HCV infection as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. OUTCOMES ESRD as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. RESULTS We identified 6,291 adults with chronic HCV infection. The control group included 31,455 sex- and age-matched individuals without evidence of chronic hepatitis. The incidence of ESRD was 2.14-fold higher in patients with chronic HCV infection (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.17-2.01; P = 0.002) than in patients without HCV infection. Age stratification analysis showed that patients aged 50-59 years with chronic HCV infection (HR, 7.77; 95% CI, 4.23-14.3; P < 0.001) had the highest risk of developing ESRD relative to patients aged 20-49 years without chronic HCV infection (interaction P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS Lack of clinical data. CONCLUSIONS Patients with chronic HCV infection are at greater risk of developing ESRD than individuals without chronic HCV infection. In addition, the risk of developing ESRD is highest in younger patients with HCV infection. Early renal screening programs should be initiated for this high-risk group of young individuals with chronic HCV infection.

Positive Association Between Hepatitis C Infection and Oral Cavity Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan

Objectives The association between viral hepatitis (B and C) and oral cavity cancer has been widely debated. This nationwide, population-based cohort study assessed the subsequent risk of oral cavity cancer among patients with chronic viral hepatitis infection. Materials and Methods Data were retrieved from insurance claims data of 1,000,000 randomly sampled individuals covered under the Taiwan National Health Insurance system. We identified a total of 21,199 adults with chronic viral hepatitis infection (12,369 with HBV alone, 5,311 with HCV alone, and 3,519 with HBV/HCV dual infections) from 2000–2005. Comparison group comprised 84,796 sex- and age-matched subjects without viral hepatitis during the same study period. Incidence and risk of subsequent oral cavity cancer were measured until 2008. Results The incidence of oral cavity cancers was 2.28-fold higher among patients with HCV alone than non-viral hepatitis group (6.15 versus 2.69 per 10,000 person-years). After adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, HCV alone was significantly associated with an increased risk for oral cavity cancer (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.20–3.02). This positive association was highest among individuals in the 40–49-year age group (HR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.21–5.46). However, there were no significant associations between HBV alone or HBV/HCV dual infections and risk for oral cavity cancer. Conclusion Our data suggest that HCV but not HBV infection is a risk factor for oral cavity cancer. In addition, subjects with HCV infection tend to be at early onset risk for oral cavity cancer. This finding needs to be replicated in further studies.

Association between chronic viral hepatitis infection and breast cancer risk: a nationwide population-based case-control study.

BackgroundIn Taiwan, there is a high incidence of breast cancer and a high prevalence of viral hepatitis. In this case-control study, we used a population-based insurance dataset to evaluate whether breast cancer in women is associated with chronic viral hepatitis infection.MethodsFrom the claims data, we identified 1,958 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer during the period 2000-2008. A randomly selected, age-matched cohort of 7,832 subjects without cancer was selected for comparison. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to calculate odds ratios of breast cancer associated with viral hepatitis after adjustment for age, residential area, occupation, urbanization, and income. The age-specific (<50 years and ≥50 years) risk of breast cancer was also evaluated.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, hepatitis B virus (HBV), or the prevalence of combined HBC/HBV infection between breast cancer patients and control subjects (p = 0.48). Multivariable logistic regression analysis, however, revealed that age <50 years was associated with a 2-fold greater risk of developing breast cancer (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.23-3.34).ConclusionsHCV infection, but not HBV infection, appears to be associated with early onset risk of breast cancer in areas endemic for HCV and HBV. This finding needs to be replicated in further studies.

Association of Sjögrens Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis Virus Infection: A Population-Based Analysis

Objective The association between Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and chronic hepatitis virus infection is inconclusive. Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are highly prevalent in Taiwan. We used a population-based case-control study to evaluate the associations between SS and HBV and HCV infections. Materials and Methods We identified 9,629 SS patients without other concomitant autoimmune diseases and 38,516 sex- and age-matched controls without SS from the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data between 2000 and 2011. We utilized multivariate logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the associations between SS and HBV and HCV infections. Sex- and age-specific (<55 and ≥55 years) risks of SS were evaluated. Results The risk of SS was higher in patients with HCV than in those without chronic viral hepatitis (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 2.16–2.86). Conversely, HBV infection was not associated with SS (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.98–1.24). Younger HCV patients were at a higher risk for SS (<55 years: OR = 3.37, 95% CI = 2.62–4.35; ≥55 years: OR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.84–2.62). Men with HCV were at a greater risk for SS (women: OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.94–2.63; men: OR = 4.22, 95% CI = 2.90–6.16). Only men with chronic HBV exhibited a higher risk of SS (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.21–2.14). Conclusion HCV infection was associated with SS; however, HBV only associated with SS in men.

Hepatitis B Virus Infection and the Risk of Male Infertility: A Population-Based Analysis

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the risk of male infertility among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. DESIGN A nationwide, population-based cohort study. SETTING Not applicable. PATIENT(S) Men infected with HBV (n = 5,138) and men without HBV infection (n = 25,690). INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Male infertility, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. RESULT(S) The incidence of infertility was 1.59 times higher in patients with HBV infection than in those without HBV infection (2.21 vs. 1.39 per 1,000 person-years). The risk of developing infertility remained significant among patients with HBV infection (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.20-1.92) after adjusting for covariates in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. CONCLUSION(S) The data show an increased incidence and risk of infertility among men with HBV infection compared with men without HBV.

Kidney Cancer Linked to Chronic Hepatitis in the Asia-Pacific: A Population-Based Analysis.

Background: The association of renal cancer with viral hepatitis infection remains unclear. Using an insurance data set, this population-based case-control study evaluated the association of renal cancer with chronic hepatitis virus infection in an endemic area of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Methods: We enrolled 17,747 patients with renal cancer during the period from 2000 to 2011 from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The control group comprised 35,494 randomly selected people without renal cancer matched by age and gender to the patients in the study group. ORs were calculated to assess the association of chronic hepatitis virus infection with renal cancer by using logistic regression analysis. Results: Renal cancer was associated with HBV and HCV infection (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.24-1.54; OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.44, respectively). An analysis stratified by gender and age revealed that young male HBV carriers had a higher risk of renal cancer compared with men without viral hepatitis (age <55 years: OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.57-2.39; 55≤ age <64 years: OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.05-1.86). Male HCV-infected patients aged <55 years (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.11-3.26) and female HCV carriers aged between 55 and 64 years (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.00-2.53) had a significantly higher risk of renal cancer compared with their counterparts. Conclusions: Renal cancer is significantly associated with chronic hepatitis infection, particularly in younger HBV-infected men.

Annual influenza vaccination reduces total hospitalization in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: A population-based analysis

BACKGROUND This study evaluated hospitalization and mortality in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV (+)) and matched comparison patients after stratifying the patients according to annual influenza vaccination (Vaccine (+)). METHODS Data from Taiwans National Health Insurance program from 2000 to 2009 were used to identify HBV(+)/vaccine(+) (n=4434), HBV(+)/Vaccine(-) (n=3646), HBV(-)/Vaccine(+) (n=8868), and HBV(-)/Vaccine(-) (n=8868) cohorts. The risk of pneumonia/influenza, respiratory failure, intensive care, hospitalization, and mortality in the four cohorts was evaluated. RESULTS The total hospitalization rate was significantly lower in patients with chronic HBV infection who received an annual influenza vaccination than in chronic HBV-infected patients who did not receive an influenza vaccination (16.29 vs. 24.02 per 100 person-years), contributing to an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.56 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.50-0.62). The HBV(+)/Vaccine(+) cohort also had lower risks than the HBV(+)/Vaccine(-) cohort for pneumonia and influenza (adjusted HR=0.79, 95% CI=0.67-0.92), intensive care unit admission (adjusted HR=0.33, 95% CI=0.25-0.43), and mortality (adjusted HR=0.19, 95% CI=0.15-0.24). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that annual influenza vaccination can reduce the risk of hospitalization and mortality in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus in Taiwan 30 years after the commencement of the national vaccination program

Background In this study, the long-term efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination was assessed using seroprevalence and an age–period–cohort (APC) model of HBV seromarkers among university entrants 30 years after the introduction of the national neonatal HBV vaccination program in Taiwan. Methods In total, data of 17,611 university entrants who underwent university entrance health examinations between 2005 and 2016 were included. The seroprevalence of the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and the levels of the antibody against the HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) in each year group and sex were calculated. The levels of the antibody against the HBV core antigen were examined only for 2012 and 2016. The APC model was used to analyze the HBV carrier rates. Results The chronic HBV infection (HBsAg positivity) rate decreased from 9.7% in university students born before June 1974 to <1.0% in students born after 1992. The prevalence of anti-HBs positivity declined, particularly between the 1984–1988 cohort (78.2%–53.2%) and the 1990–1994 cohort (60.6%–44.4%). Our APC model revealed that the chronic HBV carrier rate among the student population was affected significantly by age, period, and cohort (P < 0.001). Conclusions HBV vaccination is one of the most effective strategies for preventing HBV infection. However, for complete eradication of HBV infection, the development of strategies that detect vaccination failure more effectively than current strategies do and early implementation of appropriate treatments are both necessary.