The prevalence and significance of isolated hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) in endemic population

Autor: Chul S. Hyun, Seulgi Lee, William R. Ventura
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Zdroj: BMC Research Notes, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-5 (2019)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1756-0500
DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4287-z
Popis: Abstract Objective There are three major serologic markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs); and hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc). HBV screening programs, however, often test only HBsAg and anti-HBs, missing those individuals who have anti-HBc as the only detectable marker. Isolated anti-HBc can represent chronic infection in which HBsAg is not detectable by serology. We, therefore, investigated the prevalence of isolated anti-HBc in an ethnic community at moderate to high risk for HBV infection. Results Of 7157 Korean American adults in New Jersey, 2736 (38.2%) lacked anti-HBs, potentially susceptible to HBV. Of these 2736 subjects, 771 subjects had anti-HBc. The prevalence of isolated anti-HBc increased with age: 0.8% (age 21–30); 2.4% (age 31–40); 6.05% (age 41–50); 11.7% (age 51–60); 18.3% (age 61–70); and 24.5% (age 71–91). Similarly, the percentage of the individuals with isolated anti-HBc in anti-HBs lacking subjects showed a striking age dependence. We conclude that serologic HBV screening should include anti-HBc to accurately assess the prevalence of HBV exposure. Serologic screening with only HBsAg and anti-HBs may overestimate the prevalence of non-immune population. It can also underestimate the prevalence of HBV and increase the risk of HBV reactivation during immunosuppression.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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