Frequency of antibodies against the hepatitis C virus in patients with hepatic cirrhosis in Yucatan, Mexico.
OBJECTIVE
To report the prevalence of antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in a group of patients with hepatic cirrhosis (HC).


METHODS
A prospective transversal and descriptive study was carried out from March 1998 to May 1999. Study subjects were 153 patients; 117 (76%) male and 36 (24%) female, diagnosed with HC. They were attended at the General Hospital Agustin O'Horan and at Regional Research Center Doctor Hideyo Noguchi, in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. A clinical-epidemiologic questionnaire completed by interview was used for data collection. Anti-HCV were detected using a 2nd generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-2). To confirm diagnosis, a second generation recombining immunoblot assay (RIBA-2) was used. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) and antibodies against the hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were determined using ELISA. The presence of anti-HCV was related to the epidemiologic variables of study subjects. The prevalence of anti-HCV was obtained and the frequency of the characteristics obtained by interview were compared among the positive and negative patients through the chi 2 test and the Fisher's exact test, as needed.


RESULTS
Among patients with HC (35/117 (30%) male and 14/36 (39%) female), 32% were positive to anti-HCV. Alcoholism was present in all seroreactive males and absent in all positive females (p < 0.001). Data obtained through an interview were not associated with seropositivity. Anti-HBc was found in 16% of patients positive to anti-HCV and in 12% of seronegatives (p = 0.69).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence found was greater than previous reports in the general population in the Yucatan Peninsula (1.3%). The high prevalence of anti-HCV in these patients suggests that HC is more frequently associated with HCV in Yucatan, Mexico than hepatitis B. Alcoholism probably acts as a cofactor for the development of HC in males.
Góngora-Biachi
Renán A
RA
Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Avenida Itzaes 490 x 59, 97000 Mérida, Yucatán, México. gbiachi@tunku.uady.mx
Castro-Sansores
Carlos J
CJ
González-Martínez
Pedro
P
Lara-Perera
Dora M
DM
Garrido-Palma
Julio
J
Lara-Perera
Víctor
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies