Higher elimination rate of hepatitis C virus among women.
The mortality rate from liver disease in H town of the Fukuoka prefecture in Japan is significantly higher in men than in women. To clarify the gender-related difference, we evaluated subjects with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the S area of this town. A total of 824 adults participated in this study, 332 men and 492 women. The incidence of positivity for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in serum did not differ significantly between the subjects in the S area (1.9%) and Japanese blood donors (1.5%); however, the incidence of positivity for serum antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCVAb) in the subjects (31.8%) greatly exceeded that in Japanese blood donors (1.3%). The rate of positivity for HCVAb did not differ significantly between men (28.3%) and women (34.1%), but the proportion of serum HCV RNA-positive to HCVAb-positive subjects was significantly higher in men (78.2% in men vs 67.3% in women). The incidence of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in subjects positive for serum HCV RNA was also significantly higher in men (77.0% in men vs 55.8% in women). These results suggest that a more frequent elimination of HCV from serum in women may explain the observed lower mortality from liver disease.
Yamakawa
Y
Y
Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Sata
M
M
Suzuki
H
H
Noguchi
S
S
Tanikawa
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000438:Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000821:virology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D000438:Alcohols; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase