title: [Sero-epidemiology of hepatitis A: alcoholic patients are a group at risk].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The possibility of "community-acquired" viral infection has been suggested in alcoholics. In order to assess this hypothesis, we evaluated the prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A virus, a oro-fecally transmitted virus, in heavy drinkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 258 heavy drinkers, 188 males and 70 females, divided into sub-groups of increasing age, and compared them to 277 similarly classified blood donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of serum anti-hepatitis A antibodies was significantly higher in alcoholics than in controls (64.7 vs 52.3%, P < 0.01). The difference was particularly marked in patients younger than 45 years old (56.2 vs 39.1%, P < 0.01). In the alcoholics, there was no correlation between the prevalence of anti-hepatitis A antibodies and the socioeconomic level, the quantity of alcohol ingested, or the severity of the underlying liver disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that alcoholism is, per se, a risk factor for viral infections.
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Hépatologie, INSERM U 99, Hôpital Necker, Paris.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aparicio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Driss
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thépot
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hispard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nalpas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000821:virology*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies
vernacular_title: Séro-épidémiologie de l'hépatite A: les alcooliques sont un groupe à risque.