Clinico-epidemiology of hepatitis C viral infection in northeastern Thailand.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for a large number of cases of chronic liver disease worldwide. A study of clinico-epidemiology of HCV infection was conducted in 214 patients who were seropositive for antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, northeastern Thailand, during August 1997 to December 1998. There were 199 males, 15 females and their mean age was 34.96 +/- 9.75 years with a range from 16 to 72 years. The clinical features of acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and asymptomatic HCV infection were 2, 115, 15, 2 and 80 cases. Risk factors for HCV acquisition were intravenous drug use (IVDU), tattooing and blood transfusion in 46.7, 32.2 and 18.8% of cases, respectively. 23.36% had a history of multiple risk factors while 28.9% had no history of risk factor exposure.
Chunlertrith
K
K
Department of Medicine, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Sukeepaisarnjaroen
W
W
Mairiang
P
P
Urwijitaroon
Y
Y
Takase
K
K
Yamauchi
T
T
Yoshimura
H
H
Tameda
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction