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. 2013 Jul;28(4):413-9.
doi: 10.3904/kjim.2013.28.4.413. Epub 2013 Jul 1.

Recent trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the general Korean population

Hyuck Kim  1 , A Ri Shin, Hoe Hoon Chung, Min Kyoung Kim, Ji Sung Lee, Jae-Jun Shim, Byung-Ho Kim
Affiliations

Recent trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the general Korean population

Hyuck Kim et al. Korean J Intern Med. 2013 Jul.

Abstract

Background/aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the major cause of chronic liver disease in Korea, but viral prevalence has decreased because of hepatitis B vaccination programs. In this study, we investigated longitudinal changes in HBV in fection in the general Korean population.

Methods: HBV surface antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen, HBsAg) seropositivity was assessed from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (I to V). In total, 50,140 subjects were tested for serum HBsAg positivity over a period of 12 years (1998 to 2010).

Results: The prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity decreased over the study period. The rates of HBsAg carriers were 4.61% in 1998, 4.60% in 2001, 3.69% in 2005, 3.01% in 2008, and 2.98% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). The reduction in HBV infection rates was more prominent in younger age groups. Among teenagers (10 to 19 years), the percentage of HBsAg carriers decreased from 2.2% in 1998 to 0.12% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). Among those aged 10 to 39 years, the percentage of HBV infection decreased from 4.72% in 1998 to 2.29% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). However, no decreasing trend in HBsAg positivity was observed among those aged 50 or older (p > 0.05). Neither gender nor socioeconomic status were associated with the decreased prevalence of HBsAg carriers.

Conclusions: HBV infection has decreased in the Korean population since the advent of vaccination programs. However, the decrease is limited to the younger population, and viral persistence remains in the middle-aged and older population.

Keywords: Age groups; Hepatitis B surface antigens; Hepatitis B virus; Korea; Prevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article is reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity based on the Korea Nat ional Health and Nutrit ion Examination Survey I to V from 1998 to 2010. Values are presented as numbers (%). p value by Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel trend test.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity in age groups. p value by Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel trend test. KNHANES, Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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