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Ghosh A, Mahintamani T, Premkumar M, Basu D, Singh V, Duseja A, Subodh Bn, Mohindra R, Sharma A, Arora SK. Multidisciplinary and Integrated Treatment for Substance Use Disorders and Hepatitis C in an Addiction Treatment Service in India. Indian J Psychol Med 2023; 45:193-197. [PMID: 36925497 PMCID: PMC10011856 DOI: 10.1177/02537176221086013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Ghosh
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Drug De-Addiction and Treatment Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Tathagata Mahintamani
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Drug De-Addiction and Treatment Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Madhumita Premkumar
- Dept. of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Debasish Basu
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - V Singh
- Dept. of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ajay Duseja
- Dept. of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Subodh Bn
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Drug De-Addiction and Treatment Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ritin Mohindra
- Dept. of Internal Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Aman Sharma
- Dept. of Internal Medicine, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology Services, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sunil K Arora
- Dept. of Translational and Regenerative Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India
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Merola E, Menotti E, Branz G, Michielan A, Seligmann S, Ratti A, Agugiaro F, Moser L, Vettori G, Franceschini A, Mantovani W, Pertile R, de Pretis G, Pravadelli C. Hepatitis C virus burden: Treating and educating people without prejudice. World J Hepatol 2022; 14:1495-1503. [PMID: 36158919 PMCID: PMC9376782 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i7.1495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has a worldwide incidence of 1.1%. In Italy, 60% of people who inject drugs (PWIDs) and are receiving assistance for substance use disorder are infected with HCV. However, this subset of patients has extremely limited access to care due to multiple factors, including alcohol abuse, psychological comorbidities, and homeless status.
AIM To describe the impact of our HCV-dedicated service for substance use disorder (SSUD) service on PWIDs receiving anti-HCV therapy.
METHODS A dedicated, multidisciplinary team was set up at the SSUD of Trento in October 2020 to provide antiviral treatment to HCV RiboNucleic Acid-positive patients with an active or previous history of substance abuse. The treatment was followed by a health education program. Patients were treated with Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs). Data were retrospectively analyzed to assess the efficacy of our dedicated program in terms of therapy completion, HCV eradication, and compliance (primary endpoint). The rate of HCV reinfection and DAA-related toxicity were also assessed (secondary endpoints).
RESULTS A total of 40 patients were enrolled in the study: 28 (70.0%) were treated with Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir, while 12 (30.0%) received Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir. At the time of inclusion in the study, 36 patients were receiving opioid agonist maintenance therapy, whilst another 4 had just finished the treatment. 37.5% had a history of alcoholism and 42.5% received concomitant psychiatric treatment. All 40 patients (100.0%) completed the therapy cycle and 92.5% of patients adhered to the program. All patients tested negative for viral load at the end of the treatment. There were no significant drug interactions with common psychiatric treatments and no side effects were observed. The sustained virological response was achieved in 92.5% of cases with good tolerability, although two patients discontinued treatment temporarily. After HCV eradication, one patient died from an overdose, another from complications of cirrhosis, and one reinfection occurred.
CONCLUSION Very high adherence to therapy and good tolerability was observed in our series of HCV patients treated at the SSUD, regardless of the substance abuse condition. Further validation in a larger population is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elettra Merola
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Elisa Menotti
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Giovanna Branz
- Department of SerD, Service for Drug Addiction, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Andrea Michielan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Sonia Seligmann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Annora Ratti
- Department of SerD, Service for Drug Addiction, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Flora Agugiaro
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Luisa Moser
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Giovanni Vettori
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Anna Franceschini
- Department of SerD, Service for Drug Addiction, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - William Mantovani
- Department of Prevention, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Riccardo Pertile
- Department of Clinical and Evaluative Epidemiology, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Giovanni de Pretis
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pravadelli
- Department of Gastroenterology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale Per I Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento 38122, Italy
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Nevola R, Rosato V, Conturso V, Perillo P, Le Pera T, Del Vecchio F, Mastrocinque D, Pappalardo A, Imbriani S, Delle Femine A, Piacevole A, Claar E. Can Telemedicine Optimize the HCV Care Cascade in People Who Use Drugs? Features of an Innovative Decentralization Model and Comparison with Other Micro-Elimination Strategies. Biology 2022; 11:biology11060805. [PMID: 35741326 PMCID: PMC9219847 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The global fight against the hepatitis C virus (HCV) involves the processes of micro-elimination of populations at risk. People who use drugs (PWUDs) represent a viral reservoir, due to the historical challenge in treating this population. In particular, the difficulties in the linkage to care of these patients, as well as low adherence to therapies and follow-up and the risk of re-infection make PWUDs a “difficult-to-treat” population. In view of this, the testing of effective management and treatment models for chronic HCV infection in PWUDs is crucial for promoting its elimination. Telemedicine could be a successful solution in the integration and decentralization of care services. Abstract People who use drugs (PWUDs) are a crucial population in the global fight against viral hepatitis. The difficulties in linkage to care, the low adherence to therapy, the frequent loss to follow-up and the high risk of re-infection make the eradication process of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) really hard in this viral reservoir. Several management and treatment models have been tested with the aim of optimizing the HCV care cascade in PWUDs. Models of decentralization of the care process and integration of services seem to provide the highest success rates. Giving this, telemedicine could favor the decentralization of diagnostic-therapeutic management, key for the implementation of linkage to care, reduction of waiting times, optimization of adherence and results and reduction of the costs. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the role and possible impact of telemedicine in optimizing the HCV care cascade, comparing the different care models that have shown to improve the linkage to care and therapeutic adherence in this special population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Nevola
- Hepatology Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.R.); (P.P.); (D.M.); (A.P.); (E.C.)
- Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.I.); (A.D.F.); (A.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-566-4173
| | - Valerio Rosato
- Hepatology Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.R.); (P.P.); (D.M.); (A.P.); (E.C.)
| | - Vincenza Conturso
- Service for Addiction, DS32, ASL Napoli 1, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.C.); (T.L.P.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Pasquale Perillo
- Hepatology Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.R.); (P.P.); (D.M.); (A.P.); (E.C.)
| | - Teresa Le Pera
- Service for Addiction, DS32, ASL Napoli 1, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.C.); (T.L.P.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Ferdinando Del Vecchio
- Service for Addiction, DS32, ASL Napoli 1, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.C.); (T.L.P.); (F.D.V.)
| | - Davide Mastrocinque
- Hepatology Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.R.); (P.P.); (D.M.); (A.P.); (E.C.)
| | - Annalisa Pappalardo
- Hepatology Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.R.); (P.P.); (D.M.); (A.P.); (E.C.)
| | - Simona Imbriani
- Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.I.); (A.D.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Augusto Delle Femine
- Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.I.); (A.D.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Alessia Piacevole
- Internal Medicine Unit, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy; (S.I.); (A.D.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Ernesto Claar
- Hepatology Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy; (V.R.); (P.P.); (D.M.); (A.P.); (E.C.)
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Rosato V, Nevola R, Conturso V, Perillo P, Mastrocinque D, Pappalardo A, Le Pera T, Del Vecchio F, Claar E. Telemedicine Improves HCV Elimination among Italian People Who Use Drugs: An Innovative Therapeutic Model to Increase the Adherence to Treatment into Addiction Care Centers Evaluated before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Biology 2022; 11:800. [PMID: 35741321 PMCID: PMC9219716 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary People who use drugs represent a category of patients to be prioritized for antiviral treatment for the purpose of hepatitis C elimination, due to their younger age and the major risk of viral transmission, acting as a virus reservoir. The treatment challenges for hepatitis C in this population are related to an ineffective linkage to care, poor adherence to treatment, and follow-up and the risk of re-infection. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these conditions, increasing the concerns among clinicians regarding the effectiveness of their treatment. In our study, we describe a novel “patient-tailored” model-of-care for people who use drugs. The antiviral therapy was adapted to the needs of the patient and monitored remotely by a hepatological specialist, in order to decentralize the point of care within the addiction center. The study was conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, clearly demonstrating the model’s high effectiveness in the linkage to care, adherence, and response to antiviral therapy. Abstract People who use drugs (PWUDs) are generally considered “hard-to-treat” patients, due to adherence to HCV antiviral therapy or re-infection concerns. Linkage-to-care still remains a significant gap for HCV elimination, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce time-to-treat and improve treatment adherence, we have developed a patient-tailored model-of-care, decentralized within the addiction center and supervised remotely by hepatologists. From January 2017 to December 2020, patients were enrolled in one addiction care center in Southern Italy, where a complete hepatologic assessment, including blood chemistry, ultrasound, and transient elastography examination, was provided. DAAs treatment has been adapted on clinical features, also performing a daily administration during an outpatient visit, and monitored remotely by specialists via telemedicine interactions. Adherence was evaluated on the accomplishment of therapy or on the percentage of attended visits. From a total of 690 PWUDs, 135 had an active HCV infection and were enrolled in the study. All patients started the treatment within 3 weeks after HCV diagnosis. Six drop-outs were recorded, obtaining a sustained virological response at week 12 (SVR12) in 98.5% of PWUDs. There were only two cases of treatment failure, one of which is re-infection. No differences were found between the SVR12 rates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We obtained a high SVR12 rate, providing a comprehensive assessment within the addiction care center, tailoring the drug administration with a hepatologic remote stewardship. Our therapeutic model should improve the time-to-treat and treatment adherence in PWUDs.
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Hsu JT, Hsu PI, Shie CB, Chuah SK, Wu IT, Huang WW, Tang SY, Tsai KF, Kuo LF, Ghose S, Hsu JC, Shih CA. Comparison of the Efficacies of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment for HCV Infection in People Who Inject Drugs and Non-Drug Users. Medicina (Kaunas) 2022; 58:medicina58030436. [PMID: 35334612 PMCID: PMC8950806 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58030436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. People who inject drugs (PWIDs) constitute the majority of patients with HCV infection in the United States and Central Asia. There are several obstacles to treating HCV infection in PWIDs because PWIDs are often accompanied by concurrent infection, low compliance, substance abuse, and risky behavior. The aim of the study is to compare the efficacies of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for HCV infection in PWIDs and those without opioid injection. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included 53 PWIDs with HCV infections treated on site in a methadone program and 106 age- and sex-matched patients with HCV infections who had no history of opioid injection (ratio of 1:2). All eligible subjects received anti-HCV treatment by DAA agents in our hospital from March 2018 to December 2020. The charts of these patients were carefully reviewed for demographic data, types of DAA agents, and treatment outcomes. The primary outcome measure was sustained virological response (SVR). Results: PWIDs and non-drug users had different HCV genotype profiles (p = 0.013). The former had higher proportions of genotype 3 (18.9% vs. 7.5%) and genotype 6 (24.5% vs. 14.2%) than the latter. The two patient groups had comparable rates of complete drug refilling (100.0% vs. 91.1%) and frequency of loss to follow-up (3.8% vs. 0.9%). However, PWIDs had a lower SVR rate of DAA treatment than non-drug users (92.2% vs. 99.0%; p = 0.04). Further analysis showed that both human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection and history of PWID were risk factors associated with treatment failure. The subjects with coinfection with HIV had lower SVR rates than those without HIV infection (50.0% vs. 96.5%; p = 0.021). Conclusions: PWIDs with HCV infections have higher proportions of HCV genotype 3 and genotype 6 than non-drug users with infections. DAA therapy can achieve a high cure rate (>90%) for HCV infection in PWID, but its efficacy in PWID is lower than that in non-drug users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jui-Ting Hsu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
- Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan;
| | - Ping-I Hsu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
| | - Chang-Bih Shie
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
| | - Seng-Kee Chuah
- Division of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan;
| | - I-Ting Wu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
| | - Wen-Wei Huang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
| | - Sheng-Yeh Tang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
| | - Kun-Feng Tsai
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
| | - Li-Fu Kuo
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (J.-T.H.); (P.-I.H.); (C.-B.S.); (I.-T.W.); (W.-W.H.); (S.-Y.T.); (K.-F.T.); (L.-F.K.)
| | - Supratip Ghose
- Department of Education and Research, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (S.G.); (J.-C.H.)
| | - Jui-Che Hsu
- Department of Education and Research, An Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan 709, Taiwan; (S.G.); (J.-C.H.)
| | - Chih-An Shih
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Antai Medical Care Corporation, Antai Tian-Sheng Memorial Hospital, Pingtung County 928, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Meiho University, Pingtung County 912, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-8-8329966
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