[Prevalence of HCV antibodies in Yatsuka town of Simane prefecture, Japan].
To clarify the potential role for HCV in the development of chronic liver disease in Yatsuka town with a high morbidity of liver disease, epidemiological studies were taken in 459 subjects of Yatsuka town compared with 219 subjects of Mihonoseki town with a low one. In Yatsuka town, the mortality rate of liver cirrhosis was three times higher than the overall rate in Simane prefecture, and the rate of liver cancer rapidly increased in recent years. Age and sex-matched epidemiological studies showed a significantly higher incidence of hepatic dysfunction compared with Mihonoseki town (11.5% vs 3.7%, P less than 0.01). The prevalence of HCV antibody was significantly higher in Yatsuka town than Mihonoseki town (16.6% vs 3.7%, P less than 0.001), although there were no differences in frequencies of HBs antigen and habitual alcohol drinker between the two districts. These data strongly suggest that the high prevalence of HCV may be associated with the high morbidity of chronic liver disease, especially hepatocellular carcinoma in Yatsuka town.
Suou
T
T
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Tottori University School of Medicine.
Ikuta
Y
Y
Hasegawa
M
M
Kawasaki
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies