Abstract

SILVA, Thiago Ferreira da et al. Seroprevalence of total anti-HAV antibodies among patients with chronic hepatitis C at a reference hospital in brazilian Amazonia. Rev. Para. Med. [online]. 2006, vol.20, n.3, pp.7-10. ISSN 0101-5907.

BACKGROUND: there are evidences that hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in patients with pre-existing chronic liver disease (CLD) exhibits more serious outcomes, including fulminant hepatitis and the risk is greater in those with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). AIM: to access seroprevalence of total anti-HAV antibodies in patients with CHC correlating it to clinical-epidemiological features and need of vaccination against HAV. METHODS: From January to July 2004, anti-HCV (Elisa 3th generation) and HCV-RNA (Amplicor Roche) positive carriers who had chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were selected to be tested to total anti-HAV (Elisa) from the CLD Program of Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará Hospital. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-three patients were tested being 177 (72.8%) male and 200 (84.4%) from urban zone. At all, 220 (90.5%) were anti-HAV positives. The mean age was 46.9 (SD=13.8) and 22.2 years (SD=12.7) to positive and negative anti-HAV groups, each one (p<0.0001). Among those patients older than 35 years, 5 (2.7%) were HAV negative (p<0.0001). There was no difference statistically significant between sexes and diagnostics. CONCLUSION: the total anti-HAV prevalence was high (90.5%) among patients chronically infected by hepatitis C virus and the anti-HAV negative group showed a lower mean age than positive one (22.2 vs. 46.9). These data suggest that hepatitis A vaccination in Brazilian Amazonia should be considered with a previous serological screening mainly in patients older than 35 years.

Keywords : Seroprevalence; hepatitis A; hepatitis C; vaccine.

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