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Prevalence of anti-HCV and incidence rate of HCV seroconversion in a large multiregional health check-up population in China: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of 1.6 million adults

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background China carries one of the heaviest burdens of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anti-HCV and incidence rate of HCV seroconversion in a large health check-up population in China. Methods This cross-sectional, and longitudinal study used data from the Meinian health check-up database, covering participants from all 31 provinces of mainland China between 2017 and 2023. Serological samples were tested for anti-HCV using ELISA. The weighted prevalence of anti-HCV and the incidence rate of HCV seroconversion were calculated. Poisson regression was used to identify risk factors for HCV seroconversion. Results A total of 1,610,735 participants were included in the analysis of anti-HCV prevalence. The prevalence of anti-HCV in the study population was 0.89% (95% CI, 0.77%–1.01%), with significantly higher prevalence found in females and elderly individuals. Geographically, the prevalence was significantly higher in Central and West China compared to East China. Individuals with abnormal liver function or liver fibrosis, abnormal thyroid function or antibodies, diabetes, and impaired kidney function had significantly higher prevalence. The analysis of HCV seroconversion included 179,447 participants, showing an incidence rate of 0.72 per 1,000 person-years during a median follow-up of 1.5 years. Risk factors for HCV seroconversion included older age, as well as living in Central or West China, border regions, areas with low GDP per capita, and areas with high anti-HCV prevalence. Conclusions Our study reveals significant anti-HCV seroprevalence burden and ongoing risk of HCV transmission in a large health check-up population in China, highlighting the urgent need for systematic screening and enhanced prevention efforts to control HCV transmission.

Source: GigaScience

DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giag101

Authors: Sailimai Man, Xinmiao Yang, Yining Zu, Zhuoyan Yu, Xiaochen Yang, Yuhan Deng, Yuan Ma, Jing Du, Canqing Yu, Jun Lv, Gang Li, Liming Li, Bo Wang

Institutions: Peking University, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, New York University Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Capital Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Hepatitis C virus research

Subfield: Hepatology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,638

OpenAlex ID: W7225700643

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