title: Prevalence of hepatitis C antibody in patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea.
abstract: To investigate the contribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Korea, antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) were tested by enzyme immunoassay in 1759 patients with chronic liver disease and HCC, and in 808 healthy adults. The prevalence of anti-HCV was 1.6% in 808 controls. Anti-HCV was present in 32 (7.7%) of 418 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive and 128 (53.1%) of 241 HBsAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis, 16 (6.0%) of 265 HBsAg-positive and 90 (30.5%) of 295 HBsAg-negative patients with liver cirrhosis, and 16 (4.8%) of 330 HBsAg-positive and 61 (29.0%) of 210 HBsAg-negative patients with HCC. Antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were present in 80-88% of patients who were seropositive for anti-HCV and seronegative for HBsAg. Among the sera from 114 patients with HBsAg-negative and anti-HCV-positive chronic liver diseases, HBV DNA and HCV RNA were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 54 (47.4%) and 61 (53.3%), respectively. Both HBV DNA and HCV RNA were detected in 4 (4.4%) samples. The mean age of the patients with both HBsAg and anti-HCV was not different from that of patients who were seropositive for HBsAg alone. These findings indicate that current and/or past HBV infection is still the main cause of chronic liver disease in Korea.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus