Inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.
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BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B (HBV)-infected patients have a higher morbidity and mortality when super-infected by hepatitis A (HAV). AIM: To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a commercial inactivated HAV vaccine in Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection. METHODS: Sixty-five HBV-infected patients (30 carriers, 22 chronic hepatitis, 13 cirrhosis), who were seronegative for HAV, received a dose of 1440 ELISA units of HAV vaccine at weeks 0 and 24. Twenty-eight healthy individuals aged 18-57 years, who were seronegative for both HBV and HAV infection, also received the same vaccination regimen. Seroconversion was defined as an anti-HAV titre >/= 33 mIU/mL. RESULTS: The seroconversion rates for the HBV-infected patients at weeks 2, 4 and 24 were 72, 91 and 80%, respectively. The corresponding geometric mean titres (GMTs) were 103, 311 and 123 mIU/mL. In the healthy control group the seroconversion rates were 86, 93 and 89% at weeks 2, 4 and 24. The corresponding GMTs were 112, 158 and 250 mIU/mL. There was no difference in the seroconversion rates between the two groups, but healthy controls had a significantly higher GMT at week 24 (P=0.04). Side-effects were more common in HBV patients. CONCLUSION: The HAV vaccine is equally efficacious in patients with chronic HBV infection. (+info)
Replication of hepatitis B virus in first-degree relatives of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may occur in family clusters. No genetic mechanism has been identified as responsible for this familial tendency. We suspected that a longer hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication phase might be the reason for a higher risk of HCC in families with this disease. We performed liver biochemical tests, test for viral hepatitis markers and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and liver ultrasonography in relatives of patients with HCC. A total of 1,885 first-degree relatives from 688 families participated in this study. Seven hundred fifty-two relatives were found to be carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 675 of them were tested for HBeAg. The prevalence of HBeAg was 27.4% in relatives of those with HCC and 20% in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. The HBeAg prevalence rate was higher in relatives of those with HCC > or = 40 years old than in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. Moreover, HBeAg was more likely to persist in men than in women > or = 40 years old. We conclude that families with HCC showed a prolonged HBV replication phase that may be one of the cofactors for a familial tendency for HCC. (+info)
Hepatitis E seroconversion in United States travelers abroad.
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Sporadic cases of symptomatic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection have been reported in United States travelers to developing countries, including Mexico and Pakistan. To evaluate the risk of exposure in United States travelers, 356 patients seen in our Travel Clinics were tested for antibodies to HEV before and 6 weeks after traveling. Samples obtained 6 months after traveling were available for 211 travelers. IgG and IgM antibodies to HEV were assayed with HEV ELISA diagnostic kits containing 3 recombinant antigens expressed in Escherichia coli representing immunodominant epitopes within open reading frames 2 and 3 of HEV. Nine patients were IgG seropositive in specimens obtained before travel. Four individuals seroconverted. In all 4 patients, IgG seroconversion was demonstrated in samples obtained at least 6 months after return. Samples obtained 6 weeks after return were seronegative for HEV in all 3 patients for whom such samples were available. Travel destinations were diverse: Thailand, China, Russia, and Peru. These data are consistent with an infection acquired while traveling. None of the seropositive subjects reported any symptoms of hepatitis before or after travel. In the absence of overt disease, these results imply that exposure to HEV resulted in subclinical infections. (+info)
Hepatitis A in Latin America: a changing epidemiologic pattern.
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In a multicenter study, hepatitis A virus (HAV) seroprevalence was surveyed in six countries in Latin America in which in 12,000 subjects were stratified for age. The highest rates of seroprevalence were recorded in the Dominican Republic (89.0%) and Mexico (81.0%), with lower rates in Brazil (64.7%), Chile (58.1%), Venezuela (55.7%), and Argentina (55.0%). The seroprevalence of HAV in children between 1 and 5 years of age was less than 50%, except in the Dominican Republic. In the 5-10-year-old age group, seroprevalence rates have also decreased compared with previous reports. This suggests that the epidemiology is shifting from high to intermediate endemicity, with the population susceptible to HAV infection shifting from children to adolescents and adults. Furthermore, data from Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico show that HAV seroprevalence is significantly lower in people living in medium and high socioeconomic conditions. This study suggests the need for appropriate vaccination programs to be implemented targeting children, adolescents, and adults, particularly in higher socioeconomic groups. (+info)
A ten year serological survey of hepatitis A, B and C viruses infections in Nepal.
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BACKGROUND: In 1987, we reported that the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Nepal was low, as compared to hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, and that no human T-lymphotropic type-1 (HTLV-1) infection was found in Nepal. OBJECTIVES: To determine changes in the prevalence of HAV, HBV, and HCV infections between 1987 and 1996 in inhabitants of Bhadrakali (suburban) and Kotyang (rural) villages in Nepal. STUDY DESIGN: We did a cross-sectional survey of 458 inhabitants of two Nepalese villages, to assess the prevalence of antibody to HAV (anti-HAV), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HCV (anti-HCV), and antibody to HTLV-I (anti-HTLV-I). RESULTS: Anti-HAV was detected in 454 (99.1%), HBsAg in 5 (1.1%), anti-HBc in 33 (7.2%) and anti-HCV in 8 (1.7%) of serum samples tested in 1996. Statistically significant differences by gender or age group were nil. The prevalence of HCV infection was significantly higher in 1996 than in 1987 after adjusting for age of subjects living in the two villages (p < 0.01). The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in 1996 than 1987 in Bhadrakali after adjusting for the factor of age (p < 0.05). Between 1987 and 1996, evidence for HTLV-1 positive residents was nil. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that HAV has been endemic in Nepal for long time while not of HBV, and that HCV infection tends to be increased recently. (+info)
Hospital laundry workers--an at-risk group for hepatitis A?
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Twenty-two laundry personnel at St. Luke's Hospital, Malta, were tested for seropositivity to hepatitis A together with 37 nursing aides working in paediatric and infectious disease wards, matched for age, who were used as controls. IgG antibodies were found in 54.5% of laundry workers and 13.5% of nursing aides [odds ratio (OR) = 7.68; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.87-33.83]. Furthermore, laundry personnel consistently handling dirty linen prior to washing showed an OR of 16.50 (CI = 1.19-825.57) as compared with colleagues handling only clean items. These results would suggest that the increased exposure of hospital laundry workers to potentially infected linen can constitute a risk of occupational hepatitis A for this group of employees. (+info)
Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis E virus among rodents in the United States.
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The recent identification of antibody to hepatitis E virus (HEV) in pigs, sheep, and cattle and characterization of an HEV isolated from domestic pigs suggest animal reservoirs for this virus. To investigate whether rodents might be a natural reservoir of HEV, the prevalence of anti-HEV was determined among a variety of species throughout the United States. Serum samples were obtained from 806 rodents of 26 species in 15 genera. Anti-HEV prevalence was assessed by 2 EIAs (mosaic protein- and 55-kDa protein-based), which gave concordant results. The highest prevalence of antibody was found in the genus Rattus (59.7%; 166/278). Overall, rodents from urban habitats had a significantly higher prevalence of anti-HEV than did animals captured from rural areas. A high prevalence of anti-HEV was found in animals captured on mainland versus barrier islands. The results from this study provide convincing evidence of widespread HEV or HEV-like infection in rodents of the United States. (+info)
Prevalence of anti-hepatitis A antibodies in an urban middle class area of Argentina: some associated factors.
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OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibodies in 360 middle-class subjects from Buenos Aires City and its outskirts. METHODS: The study population included 360 individuals between 10 and 89 years of age, from the socioeconomic middle class in Buenos Aires City and some suburban areas of Buenos Aires province. Antibodies to hepatitis A virus were determined by enzyme immunoassay test kits. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HAV antibodies was 42.2%. The highest percentage of seronegativity was found in the subgroup of younger people without a history of symptomatic hepatitis and living in houses with more than one bathroom (86.9%). In the subgroup aged 21 to 60 years, the highest rates of seronegativity were found in individuals with higher level of education living in houses with tap water (66.6%). In both groups, seronegativity may be correlated with a higher socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: In the middle-class community studied, more than 50% of people under 30 years of age were unprotected against HAV. Thus, the use of a vaccine against hepatitis A has to be considered for the prevention of symptomatic hepatitis, especially in adults at risk of infection, such as those who travel to areas with poor sanitation, taking into consideration that the severity of the disease increases with age. (+info)