Hepatitis C in a Los Angeles public hepatitis clinic: demographic and biochemical differences associated with race-ethnicity.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to uncover possible racial-ethnic differences in hepatitis C presentation in an urban hepatitis clinic.


METHODS
We surveyed the clinic summary cards of patients with antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) seen from 1993 to 2000 for demographic and laboratory data.


RESULTS
A total of 1271 HCV patients were categorized into 4 major racial-ethnic groups consisting of 95 Asian, 232 African American, 323 Caucasian, and 621 Latino patients. The latter showed significantly higher serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase, and bilirubin levels (P < 0.0001) and lower serum albumin levels (P < 0.01) compared with all other racial-ethnic groups. Latinos had the lowest rate of hepatitis B coinfection (2.4%) and were significantly less likely to have normal serum ALT levels (P = 0.0002) compared with other groups. Asian patients were 10 years older than other racial-ethnic groups and were significantly more likely to be coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (P = 0.004). Asian patients also had an equal distribution of infected men and women whereas all other groups showed a male predominance. Injection drug use was a negligible cause of hepatitis C in Asian patients, but a prevalent exposure in Caucasian patients of both sexes and in African American and Latino men was seen. Transfusion was more prevalent in Asian and Latino patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis C risk factors, sex distribution, and coinfection with hepatitis B vary by race-ethnicity. Latino patients showed statistically significant biochemical differences in ALT, aspartate transaminase, bilirubin, and albumin levels compared with all other racial-ethnic groups. Further studies are required to determine the possible causes for these biochemical differences.
Celona
Anne F
AF
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 94115, USA.
Yu
Mimi C
MC
Prakash
Manish
M
Kuo
Timothy
T
Bonacini
Maurizio
M
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001213:Asian; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014504:Urban Health; D044465:White People
D012709:Serum Albumin; D011516:Prothrombin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin