Clin Mol Hepatol.  2014 Jun;20(2):162-167. 10.3350/cmh.2014.20.2.162.

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

• Chung SJ
• Kim TY
• Kim SM
• Roh M
• Yu MY
• Lee JH
• Oh C
• Lee EY
• Lee S
• Jeon YC
• Yoo KS
• Sohn JH

• KMID: 1788565
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2014.20.2.162

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.

Keyword

Hepatitis A virus; IgG Anti-HAV; Seroprevalence

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Hepatitis A/diagnosis/*epidemiology
Hepatitis A Antibodies/*analysis
Hepatitis A virus/*immunology
Humans
Immunoglobulin G/*analysis
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Middle Aged
Republic of Korea
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Sex Factors
Young Adult
Hepatitis A Antibodies
Immunoglobulin G