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. 2014 Jun;20(2):162-7.
doi: 10.3350/cmh.2014.20.2.162. Epub 2014 Jun 30.

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

Sung Jun Chung  1 , Tae Yeob Kim  1 , Sun Min Kim  1 , Min Roh  1 , Mi Yeon Yu  1 , Jung Hoon Lee  1 , ChangKyo Oh  1 , Eun Young Lee  1 , Seung Lee  1 , Yong Cheol Jeon  1 , Kyo-Sang Yoo  1 , Joo Hyun Sohn  1
Affiliations

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

Sung Jun Chung et al. Clin Mol Hepatol. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

Background/aims: The 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.

Methods: Overall, 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.

Results: The 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.

Conclusions: The number of symptomatic HAV infection cases in Korea is decreasing, but the seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV is low in the active population.

Keywords: Hepatitis A virus; IgG Anti-HAV; Seroprevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
IgG anti-HAV prevalence between 2001 and 2013 according to age and sex (P>0.05 for all age groups).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in IgG anti-HAV seropositivity between the early 2000s, mid-to-late 2000s, and early 2010s. *P<0.05, chi-square test for trend.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) Prevalence of reported acute hepatitis A infection in Korea during 2001-2013. (B) Incidence of acute hepatitis A infection in our hospital during the same period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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