Hepatitis B Infection
Introduction
Hepatitis B infection is one of the major and common liver infectious diseases worldwide, and caused by a small enveloped DNA virus, the hepatitis B virus (HBV). (Tong 2005Int J med Sci) Importantly, over 20 million people are infected annually with HBV and there are globally 350-400 million chronic carrier of HBV. (McMahon 2005.) Routes of infection include vertical transmission (through childbirth), early life horizontal transmission (bites, lesions, and sanitary habits), and adult horizontal transmission (sexual contact, intravenous drug use). (CusterJClin Gastroenterol 2004)
Indeed, the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in serum is the first seromarker to indicate active HBV infection, either acute or chronic. (Horvat RT et al. Washington D.C: ASM Press; 2003) Although, other HBV infection serological markers are anti-HBs, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), antibodies against the HBV core (anti-HBc) and those to the "e" antigens (anti-HBe), and HBV DNA. These marker scans can be used for diagnosis and determining the severity of the infection. (Japhet. journal, 2011) …show more content…
The prevalence of HBV infection varies widely, with rates ranging from 0.1% to 20% through the worlds.
(Lavanchy D. (2004) J Viral Hepat.) Iran has been known as an intermediate-prevalence area of the infection i.e. 2% to 7% HBsAg positivity. The first estimate of the prevalence of HBV infection, about 30 years ago, indicated that approximately 35% of Iranians are exposed to HBV and 3% are chronic carriers. (Farzadegan Ann Acad Med Singapore 1980.) However, a recent systematic review study cleared that, HBV infection prevalence in the Iranian general population is estimated amount 2.14%. (Alavian SM, Hajariazdeh
2008)
Meanwhile, there are little data exists on the HBV seroprevalence and the related risk factors of Hepatitis B among the general population in northeastern-Iran. A population-based study by Fathimoghaddam et al. (Fathimoghaddamet al .Hepat Mon. 2011.) showed that the overall prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity in Mashhad is 1.4%, 2.0% and 0.9% among men and women, respectively. The infection was more prevalent in older and married persons and those with a history of traditional cupping. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of serological markers and potential HBV infection risk factors among individuals who referred to a great medical diagnostic laboratory in Neyshabour city during 2015. Methods
Study, population setting, Serology
In the present cross-sectional study, 2,669 individuals were enrolled from June-2014 to the end of February-2015. They referred to a medical diagnostic center of Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) in Neyshabour for determining HBsAg positivity. The present study was approved and supervised by the Ethics committee of ACECR, Mashhad Branch.
First, after obtaining informed consent, all patients were interviewed in detail and the data were recorded in a prescribed questionnaire. The questions include; age, sex, birth place, residence place, race, household size, marital status, occupation, education, income, and history of blood transfusion, hospitalization, surgery, dentistry procedure, traditional cupping, and tattoos as well as the reasons of HBsAg test requesting.
Thereafter, the serum samples were frozen at −20 °C to further assays. The HBsAg was detected by ELISA method (DSI s.r.l., Italy) and all reactive samples were analyzed to detect other markers of HBV infection, using ELISA commercial kits according to manufacturer’s companies. These included HBeAg, anti-HBe, total anti-HBc (Dia.pro, Italy) and IgM anti-HBc (General Biological Crop., Taiwan).
Finally, data were analyzed using SPSS software ver.13.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL) by Chi-Square test. The P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Hepatitis B infection is one of the major and common liver infectious diseases worldwide, and caused by a small enveloped DNA virus, the hepatitis B virus (HBV). (Tong 2005Int J med Sci) Importantly, over 20 million people are infected annually with HBV and there are globally 350-400 million chronic carrier of HBV. (McMahon 2005.) Routes of infection include vertical transmission (through childbirth), early life horizontal transmission (bites, lesions, and sanitary habits), and adult horizontal transmission (sexual contact, intravenous drug use). (CusterJClin Gastroenterol 2004)
Indeed, the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in serum is the first seromarker to indicate active HBV infection, either acute or chronic. (Horvat RT et al. Washington D.C: ASM Press; 2003) Although, other HBV infection serological markers are anti-HBs, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), antibodies against the HBV core (anti-HBc) and those to the "e" antigens (anti-HBe), and HBV DNA. These marker scans can be used for diagnosis and determining the severity of the infection. (Japhet. journal, 2011) …show more content…
The prevalence of HBV infection varies widely, with rates ranging from 0.1% to 20% through the worlds.
(Lavanchy D. (2004) J Viral Hepat.) Iran has been known as an intermediate-prevalence area of the infection i.e. 2% to 7% HBsAg positivity. The first estimate of the prevalence of HBV infection, about 30 years ago, indicated that approximately 35% of Iranians are exposed to HBV and 3% are chronic carriers. (Farzadegan Ann Acad Med Singapore 1980.) However, a recent systematic review study cleared that, HBV infection prevalence in the Iranian general population is estimated amount 2.14%. (Alavian SM, Hajariazdeh
2008)
Meanwhile, there are little data exists on the HBV seroprevalence and the related risk factors of Hepatitis B among the general population in northeastern-Iran. A population-based study by Fathimoghaddam et al. (Fathimoghaddamet al .Hepat Mon. 2011.) showed that the overall prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity in Mashhad is 1.4%, 2.0% and 0.9% among men and women, respectively. The infection was more prevalent in older and married persons and those with a history of traditional cupping. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of serological markers and potential HBV infection risk factors among individuals who referred to a great medical diagnostic laboratory in Neyshabour city during 2015. Methods
Study, population setting, Serology
In the present cross-sectional study, 2,669 individuals were enrolled from June-2014 to the end of February-2015. They referred to a medical diagnostic center of Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) in Neyshabour for determining HBsAg positivity. The present study was approved and supervised by the Ethics committee of ACECR, Mashhad Branch.
First, after obtaining informed consent, all patients were interviewed in detail and the data were recorded in a prescribed questionnaire. The questions include; age, sex, birth place, residence place, race, household size, marital status, occupation, education, income, and history of blood transfusion, hospitalization, surgery, dentistry procedure, traditional cupping, and tattoos as well as the reasons of HBsAg test requesting.
Thereafter, the serum samples were frozen at −20 °C to further assays. The HBsAg was detected by ELISA method (DSI s.r.l., Italy) and all reactive samples were analyzed to detect other markers of HBV infection, using ELISA commercial kits according to manufacturer’s companies. These included HBeAg, anti-HBe, total anti-HBc (Dia.pro, Italy) and IgM anti-HBc (General Biological Crop., Taiwan).
Finally, data were analyzed using SPSS software ver.13.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL) by Chi-Square test. The P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.