Prevalence of hepatitis B, C, and D virus markers in yemeni patients with chronic liver disease

✍ Scribed by Abdulkader M. El Guneid; Abdalla A. Gunaid; Ann Marie O'Neill; Nael I. Zureikat; Jonathan C. Coleman; Dr. Iain M. Murray-Lyon

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 434 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.1890400413

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A serological survey for hepatitis B, C, and D markers was carried out in the Yemen Republic. Serum samples from 243 pregnant females, 294 male blood donors, and 108 patients with chronic liver disease were examined. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was found in 18.5% healthy individuals and 24.1% patients with chronic liver disease (P = 0.03). Evidence of any marker for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was found in 59.8% healthy individuals and 75.9% of patients with chronic liver disease (P = 0.0016). HBeAg was detected in 32.1% of the HBsAg‐positive pregnant females, indicating that vertical transmission probably plays a part in forming the pool of HBV carriers. Vaccination against HBV as part of the extended programme of immunisation (EPI) is recommended. Antibodies to hepatitis D were found in only 2 of 100 HBsAgpositive sera. Antibodies to hepatitis C (anti‐ HCV) were found in 2.1% healthy individuals and 21.5% patients with chronic liver disease (P = 0.0001).

These results indicate that hepatitis B is hyperendemic in the Yemen Republic but that hepatitis D is very uncommon. The prevalence of anti‐HCV is higher than in Europe and similar to neighbouring Arab countries. Infection with both HBV and HCV are important causes of chronic liver disease in the Yemen Republic.© 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.