The Viral Hepatitis Northern Network: A Platform for Addressing Viral Hepatitis in the Canadian North

Moreover, the amount of virus present in the circulation was relatively low, another predictor of a good outcome. The study also determined what percent of Northern Canadians are infected despite testing negative by standard diagnostic tests. Finally, the virus itself was analyzed to determine why in some instances it does not cause problems while in others, cirrhosis or liver cancer develop.

The latter project was performed in conjunction with researchers from the United States and Denmark. Because HBV-induced rates of cirrhosis and liver cancer are higher in Alaska and Greenland than Northern Canada, collaborations were secured with investigators from these regions who submitted samples from infected individuals. The samples were used for genotyping, sequencing and identifying which HBV mut ations are associated with adverse versus benign outcomes.