Korean J Lab Med.  2009 Dec;29(6):563-569. 10.3343/kjlm.2009.29.6.563.

An Epidemiological Analysis of Hepatitis A Virus Serologic Markers during the Recent Four Years in Korea

• Lee A
• Lim HS
• Nam CM
• Song SM
• Yoon HR
• Lee KR

• KMID: 1781611
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/kjlm.2009.29.6.563

Abstract

BACKGROUND
To establish effective preventive measures for hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, a nationwide epidemiologic study on seroprevalence of anti-HAV and the disease prevalence is needed. The aim of this study was to analyze the recent sero-epidemiological changes of hepatitis A markers in Korea. METHODS: The results of 11,068 anti-HAV total and 32,360 anti-HAV IgM tests by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) that had been requested in recent four years (2005-2008) to a reference medical laboratory from 1,699 institutions nationwide were retrospectively analyzed according to the distribution of year, sex, and age groups. RESULTS: The overall positive rate of anti-HAV total was 62.8%. The overall positive rate of anti-HAV IgM was 11.0%, showing a significantly increasing trend by year: 7.7%, 10.9%, 8.9%, and 14.3% in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, respectively (P<0.0001). The positive rate of anti-HAV IgM was higher in male than in female subjects (11.8% vs 10.0%, P<0.0001), and 81.8% (2,916/3,566) of the anti-HAV IgM positive results were observed in the age groups of 21-40 yr. The annual positive rates of anti-HAV total and anti-HAV IgM showed significantly decreasing and increasing trends, respectively, in the age groups of > or =21 yr. Conclusion: In accordance with a decreasing sero-positivity of anti-HAV total, the prevalence of acute hepatitis A virus infection has been considerably increased during the recent four years in the age groups of > or =21 yr. The results of this study could be used effectively as a basic data for establishing effective preventive measures for hepatitis A including vaccination in these susceptible age groups.

Keyword

Hepatitis A; Seroprevalence; Anti-HAV total; Anti-HAV IgM

MeSH Terms

Adult
Biological Markers/blood
Chemiluminescent Measurements
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Female
Hepatitis A/*epidemiology
Hepatitis A Antibodies/*blood
Hepatitis A virus/*immunology
Humans
Immunoglobulin M/blood
Male
Middle Aged
Republic of Korea/epidemiology
Retrospective Studies
Sex Factors
Time Factors

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Age related seroprevalence of anti-HAV total from 2005 to 2008. P for trends were obtained from Cochran-Armitage trend test for positive rates of anti-HAV total by calendar year from 2005 to 2008 in each age groups. Abbreviation: HAV, hepatitis A virus.

• 

  Fig. 2. Age related seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgM from 2005 to 2008. P for trends were obtained from Cochran-Armitage trend test for positive rates of anti-HAV IgM by calendar year from 2005 to 2008 in each age groups. Abbreviation: HAV, hepatitis A virus.

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