[The spread of hepatitis C markers among the population of regions of Russia and Central Asia]

Abstract

A total of 2,217 blood serum samples taken from the population of some regions of the former USSR were studied for the presence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) with the use of a commercial enzyme immunoassay system (obtained from Ortho, Japan). Perceptible changes in the detection rate of these antibodies throughout the territory of the former USSR were established. Most frequently anti-HCV antibodies were detected among the population of the republics of Central Asia (5.3-2.9%), as well as Tuva and Yakutia (2.5-3.0%), their lowest detection rate was in Moscow (1.3%). In Moscow the results of the assay in adults were positive twice as frequently as in children, and in donors with an elevated level of alanine-transferase activity the presence of these antibodies was confirmed in 8.9% of cases. The frequency of the confirmation of the presence of anti-HCV antibodies by recombinant immunoblotting was 70.7% in all positive sera and 100% in the sera from a group of donors with an elevated enzyme level. In many respects coincidence between the regularities in the spread of viral hepatitic C and hepatitides B, D was noted.