Recent trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the general Korean population.
10.3904/kjim.2013.28.4.413
- Author:
Hyuck KIM
1
;
A Ri SHIN
;
Hoe Hoon CHUNG
;
Min Kyoung KIM
;
Ji Sung LEE
;
Jae Jun SHIM
;
Byung Ho KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. kimbh@khu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Age groups;
Hepatitis B surface antigens;
Hepatitis B virus;
Prevalence;
Korea
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Adult;
Age Distribution;
Age Factors;
Aged;
Biological Markers/blood;
Chi-Square Distribution;
Child;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Female;
Health Surveys;
Hepatitis B/diagnosis/*epidemiology/prevention & control;
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood;
Hepatitis B Vaccines/therapeutic use;
Humans;
Longitudinal Studies;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Prevalence;
Republic of Korea/epidemiology;
Seroepidemiologic Studies;
Socioeconomic Factors;
Time Factors;
Young Adult
- From:The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine
2013;28(4):413-419
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the major cause of chronic liver disease in Korea, but viral prevalence has decreased because of hepatitis B vaccination programs. In this study, we investigated longitudinal changes in HBV in fection in the general Korean population. METHODS: HBV surface antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen, HBsAg) seropositivity was assessed from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (I to V). In total, 50,140 subjects were tested for serum HBsAg positivity over a period of 12 years (1998 to 2010). RESULTS: The prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity decreased over the study period. The rates of HBsAg carriers were 4.61% in 1998, 4.60% in 2001, 3.69% in 2005, 3.01% in 2008, and 2.98% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). The reduction in HBV infection rates was more prominent in younger age groups. Among teenagers (10 to 19 years), the percentage of HBsAg carriers decreased from 2.2% in 1998 to 0.12% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). Among those aged 10 to 39 years, the percentage of HBV infection decreased from 4.72% in 1998 to 2.29% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). However, no decreasing trend in HBsAg positivity was observed among those aged 50 or older (p > 0.05). Neither gender nor socioeconomic status were associated with the decreased prevalence of HBsAg carriers. CONCLUSIONS: HBV infection has decreased in the Korean population since the advent of vaccination programs. However, the decrease is limited to the younger population, and viral persistence remains in the middle-aged and older population.
