Clinical and Molecular Hepatology (Jun 2014)

Changes in the seroprevalence of IgG anti-hepatitis A virus between 2001 and 2013: experience at a single center in Korea

  • Sung Jun Chung,
  • Tae Yeob Kim,
  • Sun Min Kim,
  • Min Roh,
  • Mi Yeon Yu,
  • Jung Hoon Lee,
  • ChangKyo Oh,
  • Eun Young Lee,
  • Seung Lee,
  • Yong Cheol Jeon,
  • Kyo-Sang Yoo,
  • Joo Hyun Sohn

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2014.20.2.162
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 2
pp. 162 – 167

Abstract

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Background/AimsThe incidence of symptomatic hepatitis A reportedly increased among 20- to 40-year-old Korean during the late 2000s. Vaccination against hepatitis A was commenced in the late 1990s and was extended to children aged <10 years. In the present study we analyzed the changes in the seroprevalence of IgG anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) over the past 13 years.MethodsOverall, 4903 subjects who visited our hospital between January 2001 and December 2013 were studied. The seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV was analyzed according to age and sex. In addition, the seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV was compared among 12 age groups and among the following time periods: early 2000s (2001-2003), mid-to-late 2000s (2006-2008), and early 2010s (2011-2013). The chi-square test for trend was used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV did not differ significantly between the sexes. Furthermore, compared to the seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV in the early 2000s and mid-to-late 2000s, that in the early 2010s was markedly increased among individuals aged 1-14 years and decreased among those aged 25-44 years (P<0.01). We also found that the seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV in individuals aged 25-44 years in the early 2010s was lower than that in the early 2000s and mid-to-late 2000s.ConclusionsThe number of symptomatic HAV infection cases in Korea is decreasing, but the seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV is low in the active population.

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