Two-Center Comparison of Viral Hepatitis A, B, C Seroprevalence among the 18-25 Age Group

Abstract

Objective: Viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver due to a viral infection that affects millions of people worldwide, causing thousands of deaths due to acute-chronic infection, liver cancer and cirrhosis. This study is aimed to compare datas of the seroprevalence of markers for viral hepatitis A, B, C among 18-25 age group outpatient clinic patients and healthcare workers between the two University Hospitals from east and west zone of Turkey. Material and Methods: The data of a total of 562 patients and healthcare workers, aged between 18 and 25, who applied to the outpatient clinic at Sütçü İmam University Faculty of Medicine and Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine Hospital between 01.01.2022 and 01.07.2022, were retrospectively examined. The presence of serological markers against HAV, HBV, HCV and HIV was tested with the ELISA method. Results: Anti-HAV IgG positivity was 25.5% and 40.3% for Çanakkale and Kahramanmaraş, respectively. Anti-HAV seropositivity rate in Kahramanmaraş was statistically significantly higher than in Çanakkale (P<0.001). Anti-HBs positivity was found to be 74.5% and 75.4% for Çanakkale and Kahramanmaraş, which were similar to each other bulundu (P=0.458). HBsAg positivity was detected as 1.5% in Çanakkale and 0.8% in Kahramanmaraş. There was no significant difference between the two cities (P = 0.810). Anti-HCV was found to be positive in one (0.5%) patient in Çanakkale and in four (1.1%) patients in Kahramanmaraş. Anti-HCV positivity was higher in Kahramanmaraş and anti-HIV positivity was higher in Çanakkale (P=.03, P<0.001). It was detected that anti-HBs positivity (80.7%) was higher in HCWs and anti-HAV IgG positivity was higher in non-HCWs (38.4%) (P=.042, P=0.013). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of anti-HCV and anti-HIV positivity. Conclusion: Due to the low anti-HAV seropositivity rates in the 18-25 age group, this makes this group more risky in terms of HAV infection. Especially due to the anti-HAV positivity in Çanakkale is low compared to Kahramanmaraş, it is recommended to support vaccination in this region. Since health care workers are at risk of having and transmitting hepatitis, it was found to be appropriate getting prevention measures by screening against vaccine-preventable diseases.