Sero-epidemiologic study of hepatitis C virus infection in Fukuoka, Japan.
We conducted an epidemiological study of 509 residents of H town, Fukuoka, Japan, to investigate the high mortality rate from liver disease. Antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) (anti-HCV) were detected in 120 residents (23.6%); HCV RNA in 91 (17.9%), and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in 13 (2.6%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that presence of anti-HCV, male gender, and history of liver disease were associated with the presence of liver dysfunction, and that age of more than 40 years and a particular district were associated with the presence of anti-HCV. HCV RNA was more frequently detected in anti-HCV-positive men than women (41, or 85.4% versus 50, or 69.4%) (P < 0.05). The incidence of liver dysfunction was significantly higher in HCV RNA-positive men than women (32, or 66.7% versus 22, or 30.6%) (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that: (1) HCV was correlated with the high mortality rate from liver diseases, (2) there were district-related differences in the incidence of HCV, and (3) the lower frequency of elimination of HCV from men may explain why they showed a high mortality from liver disease.
Sata
M
M
Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Nakano
H
H
Suzuki
H
H
Noguchi
S
S
Yamakawa
Y
Y
Tanaka
E
E
Fukuizumi
K
K
Tanaka
K
K
Yoshida
H
H
Tanikawa
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral