Viral Hepatitis C: From Unraveling the Nature of Disease to Cure and Global Elimination.

Background: The discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs is one of the major milestones in the last 3 decades of medicine. These discoveries encouraged the World Health Organization (WHO) to set an ambitious goal to eliminate HCV by 2030, meaning "a 90% reduction in new cases of chronic HCV, a 65% reduction in HCV deaths, and treatment of 80% of eligible people with HCV infections."

Summary: This review summarizes the key achievements from the discovery of HCV to the development of effective treatment and global elimination strategies.

Hepatitis C screening in Lithuania: first-year results and scenarios for achieving WHO elimination targets.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined a set of targets to achieve eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. In May 2022, Lithuanian health authorities initiated a hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening program to start working towards elimination. In the program, bonus was given to general practitioners (GPs) to promote and conduct anti-HCV tests for two situations: (1) one time testing for individuals born in 1945-1994 and (2) annual HCV testing for persons who inject drugs or are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) regardless of age.

Effectiveness and safety of a third-line rescue treatment for acute severe ulcerative colitis refractory to infliximab or ciclosporin (REASUC study).

Background: The advent of new therapeutic agents and the improvement of supporting care might change the management of acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) and avoid colectomy.

Aims: To evaluate the colectomy-free survival and safety of a third-line treatment in patients with ASUC refractory to intravenous steroids and who failed either infliximab or ciclosporin.

Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study of patients with ASUC refractory to intravenous steroids who had failed infliximab or ciclosporin and received a third-line treatment during the same hospitalisation.

Genotype Distribution and Characteristics of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine: The RESPOND-C Study.

Since 2013, highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has become available, with cure rates exceeding 95%. For the choice of optimal CHC treatment, an assessment of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT) and liver fibrosis stage is necessary. Information about the distribution of these parameters among CHC patients in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the Baltic states) and especially in Ukraine is scarce.

Etiology and Outcome of Adult and Pediatric Acute Liver Failure in Europe.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is rare but life-threatening. Common causes include intoxications, infections, and metabolic disorders. Indeterminate etiology is still frequent.