Prevalence of seropositivity for hepatitis C virus in cataract patients and the general population.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the epidemiologic relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cataract.


METHODS
Yoshida Eye Clinic, Fukuoka, Japan.


METHODS
This study included 492 patients with age-related cataract and 2624 controls who had a municipal mass health screening. All subjects were 60 years or older and inhabitants of Chikugo City (population 45000), Fukuoka, Japan. Each subject was serologically tested for HCV using the third-generation enzyme immunoassay. Seropositivity was compared in subgroups consisting of patients by decade; that is 60 to 69 years of age, 70 to 79 years of age, and 80 to 90 years of age.


RESULTS
The prevalence of HCV in the cataract group and health-screening (control) group was 18.3% and 7.1%, respectively, in the 60- to -69 year subgroup; 17.8% and 6.6%, respectively, in the 70- to 79-year subgroup; and 15.1% and 3.7%, respectively, in the 80- to 90-year subgroup. In each subgroup, the prevalence of HCV was significantly higher in the cataract group than in the control group (P <.01, chi-square test). In the cataract group, the HCV seropositive and seronegative groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (P =.548, Fisher exact probability test).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with age-related cataract had significantly higher seropositivity for HCV than an age-matched general population. This suggests that HCV infection may play a role in the development and/or progression of cataract.
Yoshida
Koichi
K
Yoshida Eye Clinic, Yoshitomi Eye Center, Fukuoka, Japan.
Nakano
Hitoshi
H
Yoshitomi
Fumiaki
F
Oshika
Tetsuro
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies