Seroprevalence of hepatitis A immunity among brazilian adult patients with liver cirrhosis: is HAV vaccination necessary?
Braz. j. infect. dis
;
15(3): 268-271, May-June 2011. tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-589960
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Patients with chronic liver disease have a higher risk of fulminant hepatitis when infected with hepatitis A virus, and vaccination of these patients against such infection is recommended. In Brazil, mainly in the South and Southeast regions, the epidemiology of hepatitis A (HA) has shifted from high to intermediate endemicity, which would have implication on policy of HA vaccination for these populations.OBJECTIVE:
To verify the prevalence of HA immunity in adult patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), in Uberlândia MG, a city of Southeastern Brazil.METHODS:
Between December 2005 and December 2006, 106 patients with LC were consecutively evaluated. In addition, 75 individuals without LC or alcoholism were evaluated (control group - CG).RESULTS:
Total anti-HAV (ELISA methods) was positive in 104 (98.1 percent) patients with LC (82 men, 24 women; mean age, 53.3 ± 11.9 years) and in 74 (98.7 percent) individuals of the CG (55 men, 20 women; mean age, 47 ± 11.6 years), p > 0.05.CONCLUSIONS:
For patients with chronic liver disease, in the geographic regions and age groups evaluated, routine vaccination against hepatitis A is not recommended. Moreover, the serum determination of total anti-HAV, used to assess immunity, is five times cheaper than vaccination against hepatitis A and, for this reason, should precede vaccination.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Hepatitis A virus
/
Hepatitis A
/
Liver Cirrhosis
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prevalence study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Braz. j. infect. dis
Journal subject:
Communicable Diseases
Year:
2011
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Universidade Federal de Uberlândia/BR
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