Hepatitis C Elimination in the Netherlands (CELINE):How nationwide retrieval of lost to follow-up hepatitis C patients contributes to micro-elimination

Background & Aims: The number of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients who have been lost to follow-up (LTFU) is high and threatens HCV elimination. Micro-elimination focusing on the LTFU population is a promising strategy for low-endemic countries like the Netherlands (HCV prevalence 0.16%). We therefore initiated a nationwide retrieval project in the Netherlands targeting LTFU HCV patients. Methods: LTFU HCV-infected patients were identified using laboratory and patient records. Subsequently, the Municipal Personal Records database was queried to identify individuals eligible... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Isfordink, Cas J.
van Dijk, Marleen
Brakenhoff, Sylvia M.
Kracht, Patricia A.M.
Arends, Joop E.
de Knegt, Robert J.
van der Valk, Marc
Drenth, Joost P.H.
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
Reihe/Periodikum: Isfordink , C J , van Dijk , M , on behalf of CELINE Study Group , Brakenhoff , S M , Kracht , P A M , Arends , J E , de Knegt , R J , van der Valk , M & Drenth , J P H 2022 , ' Hepatitis C Elimination in the Netherlands (CELINE) : How nationwide retrieval of lost to follow-up hepatitis C patients contributes to micro-elimination ' , European Journal of Internal Medicine , vol. 101 , pp. 93-97 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2022.04.024
Schlagwörter: /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being / name=SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-28796637
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://pure.eur.nl/en/publications/f7b51957-3369-4d41-9b4a-4f1cfe99b94d

Background & Aims: The number of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients who have been lost to follow-up (LTFU) is high and threatens HCV elimination. Micro-elimination focusing on the LTFU population is a promising strategy for low-endemic countries like the Netherlands (HCV prevalence 0.16%). We therefore initiated a nationwide retrieval project in the Netherlands targeting LTFU HCV patients. Methods: LTFU HCV-infected patients were identified using laboratory and patient records. Subsequently, the Municipal Personal Records database was queried to identify individuals eligible for retrieval, defined as being alive and with a known address in the Netherlands. These individuals were invited for re-evaluation. The primary endpoint was the number of patients successfully re-linked to care. Results: Retrieval was implemented in 45 sites in the Netherlands. Of 20,183 ever-diagnosed patients, 13,198 (65%) were known to be cured or still in care and 1,537 (8%) were LTFU and eligible for retrieval. Contact was established with 888/1,537 (58%) invited individuals; 369 (24%) had received prior successful treatment elsewhere, 131 (9%) refused re-evaluation and 251 (16%) were referred for re-evaluation. Finally, 219 (14%) were re-evaluated, of whom 172 (79%) approved additional data collection. HCV-RNA was positive in 143/172 (83%), of whom 38/143 (27%) had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis and 123/143 (86%) commenced antiviral treatment. Conclusion: Our nationwide micro-elimination strategy accurately mapped the ever-diagnosed HCV population in the Netherlands and indicates that 27% of LTFU HCV-infected patients re-linked to care have advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. This emphasizes the potential value of systematic retrieval for HCV elimination.