Infection by hepatitis B and C virus in non-intravenous drug using female prostitutes in Spain.
We have studied the prevalence of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) serologic markers in female blood donors and in female prostitutes and the relationship of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and of antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) with the presence of treponemal antibodies (FTA-ABS) in non-intravenous drug using female prostitutes. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was found in 1.0% of the female blood donors, anti-HBc in 15.6% and anti-HCV in 0.7%. In the prostitutes, the prevalence of HBsAg was 6.1%, anti-HBc was positive in 29.0% and anti-HCV in 8.8%. No significant statistical association between the prevalence of anti-HBc or anti-HCV and the age of prostitutes (p = 0.9111 and p = 0.8254 respectively) or the length of time as prostitutes (p = 0.3583 and p = 0.5770) was found. FTA-ABS positive prostitutes had a significantly higher prevalence of anti-HCV than FTA-ABS negative prostitutes (p < 0.001). No statistical association was found between anti-HBc antibodies and positive FTA-ABS prostitutes (p = 0.336).
Orduña
A
A
Department of Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Valladolid, Spain.
Bratos
M A
MA
Gutierrez
P
P
Almaraz
A
A
Eiros
J M
JM
Martín
J F
JF
Gonzalez
J M
JM
Caro-Patón
A
A
Rodríguez-Torres
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011477:Sex Work; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens