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. 2020 Dec 16;55(4):370-375.
doi: 10.14744/TurkPediatriArs.2020.06982. eCollection 2020.

Hepatitis A virus age-specific seroprevalence after the implementation of a Toddlers' Vaccination in Turkey: Shifting susceptibility to adolescents

Alkım Öden Akman  1 , Başak Yalçın Burhan  2 , Aysun Kara Uzun  1 , Demet Taş  1
Affiliations

Hepatitis A virus age-specific seroprevalence after the implementation of a Toddlers' Vaccination in Turkey: Shifting susceptibility to adolescents

Alkım Öden Akman et al. Turk Pediatri Ars. .

Abstract
in English, Turkish

Aim: In Turkey, improvements in sanitation and the implementation of a vaccination program resulted in reduced rates of childhood exposure to hepatitis A virus. The incidence of symptoms and the complications of the disease are known to be increased in later ages. We aimed to describe changes in the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus from the pre-vaccine era (2012) to the post-vaccine era (2018) in different age groups.

Material and methods: Levels of anti-hepatitis A virus immunoglobulin (Ig)-G of patients with no chronic disease and who were admitted to our hospital between 2013-2018 were obtained retrospectively from a single children's hospital database system.

Results: A total of 3238 subjects were enrolled in the study (2820 children, 418 adults). The overall percentage of seropositivity was 60.5% in group 1 (age ≤2 years), 57.9% in group 2 (age 2-6 years), 31.2% in group 3 (age 7-11 years), 32.7% in group 4 (age 12-18 years), 44.6% in group 5 (age 19-24 years), and 73.9% in group 6 (age >25 years). Between 2013-2018, the increase in the number of seropositive individuals in group 2 (p<0.01), and the decrease in groups 3 and 4 were statistically significant from 2013 to 2018 (p=0.028, p<0.01).

Conclusion: According to the data of this single-center children's hospital in Turkey, hepatitis A virus seropositivity increases significantly in the preschool age group, but decreases in school-age children and adolescents after vaccination.

Amaç: Türkiye’de sanitasyon ve aşılama programının uygulanmasındaki gelişmeler, hepatit A Virüsüne çocuklukta maruz kalma oranlarının düşmesine neden olmuştur. Yaş artışı ile birlikte hastalığın semptom ve komplikasyon sıklığında artış olduğu bilinmektedir. Hepatit A virüsünün, aşı öncesi 2012 döneminden aşı sonrası 2018 yılına kadar olan farklı yaş gruplarındaki seroprevelans değişimlerini sunmayı amaçladık.

Gereç ve yöntemler: Tek merkezli bir çocuk hastanesi veri tabanı sisteminden, 2013–2018 yılları arasında hastanemize başvuran ve kronik hastalığı olmayan çocuk yaş grubu olguların serum Anti-hepatit A Virüs IgG değerleri geriye dönük olarak değerlendirildi.

Bulgular: Çalışmaya toplam 3238 alındı (2820 çocuk, 418 yetişkin). Genel seropozitiflik yüzdeleri, grup 1’de (≤2 yaş) % 60,5; grup 2’de (0–6 yaş) % 57,9; grup 3’de (7–11 yaş) % 31,2; grup 4’te (12–18 yaş) % 32,7; grup 5’te (19–24 yaş) % 44,6 ve grup 6’da (> 25 yaş) % 73,9’du. İki bin on üç–2018 yılları arasında grup 2’deki seropozitif olgu sayısındaki artış (p=<0,01), grup 3 ve 4’teki seropozitif olgu sayısında azalma istatistiksel olarak anlamlıydı (p=0,028, p=<0,01).

Çikarimlar: Türkiye’deki tek merkezli çocuk hastanesi verilerine göre; aşılama sonrası hepatit A Virüsü seropozitifliği okul öncesi çocuklarda anlamlı artmaktadır, fakat okul çağı ve adolesanlarda anlamlı azalma göstermektedir.

Keywords: Children; hepatitis A virus; seroprevalence; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the cases included according to the HAV seroprevalence results between the years 2013–2018
Figure 2
Figure 2
The overall percent of HAV seropositivity according to age groups
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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