Consensus on management of hepatitis C virus infection in resource-limited Ukraine and Commonwealth of Independent States regions
- PMID: 31413526
- PMCID: PMC6689802
- DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i29.3897
Consensus on management of hepatitis C virus infection in resource-limited Ukraine and Commonwealth of Independent States regions
Abstract
Globally, 69.6 million individuals were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 2016. Of the six major HCV genotypes (GT), the most predominant one is GT1, worldwide. The prevalence of HCV in Central Asia, which includes most of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has been estimated to be 5.8% of the total global burden. The predominant genotype in the CIS and Ukraine regions has been reported to be GT1, followed by GT3. Inadequate HCV epidemiological data, multiple socio-economic barriers, and the lack of region-specific guidelines have impeded the optimal management of HCV infection in this region. In this regard, a panel of regional experts in the field of hepatology convened to discuss and provide recommendations on the diagnosis, treatment, and pre-, on-, and posttreatment assessment of chronic HCV infection and to ensure the optimal use of cost-effective antiviral regimens in the region. A comprehensive evaluation of the literature along with expert recommendations for the management of GT1-GT6 HCV infection with the antiviral agents available in the region has been provided in this review. This consensus document will help guide clinical decision-making during the management of HCV infection, further optimizing treatment outcomes in these regions.
Keywords: Antiviral agents; Commonwealth of Independent States; Genotype; Hepatitis C virus; Sustained virologic response; Ukraine.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflict-of-interest statement: Colombo MG received grants/research/clinical trial support from Bristol-Meyers Squibb [Hepatology, viral hepatitis C (Daclatasvir)], Gilead Sciences [Hepatology, viral hepatitis C (Sofosbuvir)], and Merck [Hepatology, viral hepatitis C (Boceprevir)]. Colombo MG is a part of the speaker’s bureau at Bayer, Gilead Sciences, and Roche and is a consultant and advisory panel at Bayer, AbbVie, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Merck, Roche, Mylan, and Boehringer Ingelheim. Nersesov AV supports research at Janssen, Merck, AbbVie, Abbott, and Sanofi. Nersesov AV is a part of the speaker’s bureau at Abbott, AbbVie, Bayer, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Merck, Roche, and Sanofi and is a board member/advisory panel at Abbott, AbbVie, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Merck, Roche, and Mylan. Ravishankar AC and Hadigal S are employees at Mylan Pharmaceuticals Private Limited. The remaining authors have no conflict of interests.
Figures

Similar articles
-
International Liver Transplantation Society Asian Consensus on the Management of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Resource Limited Setting-From Noncirrhotic to Decompensated Disease and After Liver Transplantation.Transplantation. 2019 Apr;103(4):733-746. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000002453. Transplantation. 2019. PMID: 30335692
-
Genotype Distribution and Characteristics of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine: The RESPOND-C Study.Medicina (Kaunas). 2023 Aug 30;59(9):1577. doi: 10.3390/medicina59091577. Medicina (Kaunas). 2023. PMID: 37763696 Free PMC article.
-
Cost effectiveness of direct-acting antiviral therapy for treatment-naive patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection in the veterans health administration.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Nov;11(11):1503-10. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2013.05.014. Epub 2013 May 22. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013. PMID: 23707354
-
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C in Asia: when East meets West.J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009 Mar;24(3):336-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.05789.x. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009. PMID: 19335784 Review.
-
Urgency to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C in Asia.J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 May;32(5):966-974. doi: 10.1111/jgh.13709. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017. PMID: 28005275 Review.
Cited by
-
Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infections Among Patients of Ukrainian Origin During the Influx of War Refugees to Poland.J Clin Med. 2024 Dec 15;13(24):7641. doi: 10.3390/jcm13247641. J Clin Med. 2024. PMID: 39768565 Free PMC article.
-
Hepatitis C Virus Saint Petersburg Variant Detection With Machine Learning Methods.J Med Virol. 2025 Feb;97(2):e70169. doi: 10.1002/jmv.70169. J Med Virol. 2025. PMID: 39957585 Free PMC article.
-
A bibliometric analysis of infectious diseases in patients with liver transplantation in the last decade.Ann Transl Med. 2021 Nov;9(22):1646. doi: 10.21037/atm-21-2388. Ann Transl Med. 2021. PMID: 34988155 Free PMC article.
-
Prevalence of resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) in hepatitis C virus in the Former Soviet Union countries.BMJ Open Gastroenterol. 2025 Jan 23;12(1):e001657. doi: 10.1136/bmjgast-2024-001657. BMJ Open Gastroenterol. 2025. PMID: 39848793 Free PMC article.
-
Joint HIV and hepatitis C virus phylogenetic analyses signal network overlap among women engaged in sex work and men who purchase sex.Int J STD AIDS. 2025 Jun;36(7):542-549. doi: 10.1177/09564624241287259. Epub 2024 Sep 26. Int J STD AIDS. 2025. PMID: 39325924 Free PMC article.
References
-
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis C. 2018. Available from: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-c.
-
- Centers for Disease control and prevention. Hepatitis C. 2018. Accessed on: 01 August; 2018. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/index.htm.
-
- Polaris Observatory HCV Collaborators. Global prevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus infection in 2015: a modelling study. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017;2:161–176. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous