IJE Advance Access originally published online on August 10, 2007
International Journal of Epidemiology 2007 36(4):731-737; doi:10.1093/ije/dym096
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Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association © The Author 2007; all rights reserved.
Cohort Profile: The Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study (SCCS)
1Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Finkenhubelweg 11, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
2Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Division of Communicable Diseases, Vaccinations Section, 3003 Bern, Switzerland.
3Swiss HIV Cohort Study, Mont Paisible 16, 1011-Lausanne-CHUV, Switzerland.
4Gastroenterologie & Hepatologie, Stadtspital Waid, Thiéchestrasse 99, 8037 Zürich, Switzerland
5Services de Gastroentérologie et d’Hépatologie et de Pathologie Clinique, Hôpitaux Universitaires, Rue Micheli-du-Crest 24, 1211 Genève 14, Switzerland.
* Corresponding author. E-mail: zwahlen@ispm.unibe.ch
Accepted 4 April 2007
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How did the study come about? |
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The hepatitis C virus, formerly classified as ‘non-A non-B’ hepatitis virus, was identified in 1989.1 This blood-borne virus is endemic worldwide, with an estimated 170 million persons chronically infected, representing approximately 3% of the world population.2 Long-term morbidity associated with persistent hepatitis C virus infection includes the development of cirrhosis and primary liver cancer.
The Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study (SCCS) is a joint effort between the Swiss Group of Experts in Viral Hepatitis and the Swiss Association for the Study of the Liver. The SCCS was established because large population-based cohort studies are the only way to confirm or refute working hypotheses on the natural course of chronic hepatitis C and on hepatitis C virus pathology, and partly because experience with a similar collaborative effort of specialized treatment centres had already been successfully established for a human immunodeficiency virus cohort in Switzerland.3–9 Therefore, the aims of the SCCS were
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What does it cover? |
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Who is in the sample? |
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Patient characteristics
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How often have they been followed up? |
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What has been measured? |
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At enrolment
Laboratory procedures
Follow-up
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What is attrition like? |
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What has it found? Key findings |
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Patient characteristics
Time to event analysis
Pathology of hepatitis C virus
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What are the main strengths and weaknesses? |
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Can I get hold of the data? Where can I find out more? |
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Appendix |
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Members of the SCCS study group
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  M. Bopp, A. Spoerri, M. Zwahlen, F. Gutzwiller, F. Paccaud, C. Braun-Fahrlander, A. Rougemont, and M. Egger Cohort Profile: The Swiss National Cohort--a longitudinal study of 6.8 million people Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2009; 38(2): 379 - 384. [Full Text] [PDF]
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