Hepatitis B, C, and D virus infections are a major public health problem, and Mongolia has one of the highest prevalences of dual and triple infections in the world. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis infection and dual or triple hepatitis infections among 10–64-year-olds. A questionnaire was used to identify risk factors for hepatitis infection, and seromarkers were measured by the fully automated immunologic analyzer HISCL-5000. Among a total of 10,040 participants, 8.1% of the population aged 10–64 was infected with HBV, 9.4% with HCV, and 0.4% with HBV and HCV, and the prevalence of the disease varied by age, sex, and the area of residence. Young people were particularly unaware of their hepatitis infection status. A small proportion of children aged 10 to 19 years and the majority of adults younger than 30 years were unaware of their HBV and HCV infection. Men were also more likely to be unaware of their HBV and HCV infection status than women. The results suggested that the prevalence of infection in the general population is high and that most people are unaware that they are infected or have become chronic carriers. Identifying mono-, co-, or triple-infection status is critical to prevent the rapid progression of liver disease among the Mongolian population.

Background/Aims: Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) shows high efficacy and safety in patients with genotype 1-hepatitis C virus (HCV). We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of LDV/SOF in real-world Mongolian patients. Methods: Between 2015 to 2019, 23 (0.5%) and 5,005 patients (99.5%) with genotype 1a and 1b HCV, respectively, were treated with a fixed-dose tablet containing 90 mg ledipasvir and 400 mg sofosbuvir for 12 weeks, and 81 patients (1.6%) with previous experience of interferon (IFN)-based treatment received additional 1,000 mg ribavirin. HCV RNA was measured at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the first dose to determine rapid virologic response, end of treatment response (ETR), and sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after end of treatment (SVR12). Results: Most patients (n=5,008; 99.6%) achieved ETR and SVR12 without virologic relapse. Patients with genotype 1a showed low rates of ETR and SVR12 in only 16 patients (69.6%). There was no significant difference in SVR12 rate between patients regardless of IFN experience (n=81; 1.6%), cirrhosis (n=1,151; 22.9%), HCV RNA >6×10 6 IU/mL (n=866; 17.2%), or liver stiffness >9.6 kPa (n=1,721; 34.2%) (100.0%, 99.3%, 99.4%, and 99.4%, respectively). No severe adverse events (AEs) were reported, and there was no dose reduction or interruption due to AE. The most common AEs were headache (n=472; 9.4%), fatigue (n=306; 6.2%), abdominal discomfort (n=295; 5.9%), and skin rash (n=141; 2.8%). Conclusions: LDV/SOF showed high efficacy and safety for patients with genotype 1, especially 1b HCV, in Mongolia. The real-world data might be applicable to patients in other Asian-Pacific countries. Clin Mol Hepatol 2020 Nov 27.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficient in pregnancy can lead to fetal deficiency that may affect chronic disease susceptibility childhood and adulthood. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between maternal and neonatal Vitamin D levels at birth and to identify other risk factors among pregnant women in Mongolia. Methods: Hospital-based study was conducted on 528 participants which included 264 mothers and 264 neonates. Pre-delivery maternal blood and neonatal cord blood samples were collected after birth. 25(ОН)D concentration was analyzed in relation to neonatal Vitamin D status, maternal and neonatal characteristics, and maternal Vitamin D intake. Results: The majority of Vitamin D levels in both maternal (76.5%) and neonatal cord (90.5%) blood were in the deficiency range. Only 3.8% of mothers and 1.5% of neonates had levels in the sufficient range at the time of delivery. For maternal demographic factors, total income was significantly different between the groups (P=0.000). The maternal outcomes were no significant associations were found between groups, but neonatal outcomes were associated with maternal Vitamin D status. In terms of Vitamin D supplementation, 27% of women were taken during pregnancy. Of the not supplemented women, 80% were Vitamin D deficient. Conclusions: A high proportion of Vitamin D deficiency was found in both mothers and newborns in our study. There is a strong correlation between the amount of Vitamin D in the mother and in the newborn. A mother’s Vitamin D intake is related to Vitamin D levels in the mother’s blood.