title: [Prevalence of liver diseases in a small rural community isolated in the mountain heights: clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic study].
abstract: The goal of this population-based clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic study was to assess the prevalence of liver diseases in Lara, a small rural community isolated in the mountain heights of Tucumán, a Province of Argentina with the highest reported rates of HAV infection in children. Inhabitants of Lara lack electricity, potable water and a sewer system. The study included 102 individuals representing 41% of the total population. Anti-HBc and anti-HCV were negative in all cases. No children showed clinical, biochemical or ecographic abnormalities. Among adults, 41% referred alcohol consumption and 12% blood transfusions. Only 3 adults (6%) had mildly elevated ALT. Ultrasound showed steatosis in 8 individuals (16%), gallstones in 7 (14%), parenchymal micro-calcifications in 5 (10%) and parasitic cysts in 4 (8%). Prevalence of HAV infection in Lara was 89% in adults and 35% in children, being significantly lower than that of children of medium/high (53%, p = 0.05) and low (74%, p = 0.0006) socioeconomic level from the city of Tucumán (control groups). These differences were more marked in children aged < 5 years (anti-HAV in 0%, 53% and 75% respectively). Serologic tests for echinoccocal disease were positive in 3/4 individuals with parasitic cysts, 2/5 with micro-calcifications and 17/85 (20%) with normal ultrasound, thus suggesting a high rate of false-positive results of the Elisa test utilized. This study showed that in Lara there is a high prevalence of steatosis, gallstones and equinoccocal disease in adults, absence of HBVand HCV infection and low exposure to HAV in children especially in those aged < 5 years.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Hepatología, Cirugía Hepatobiliar y Trasplante Hepático, Fundación Favaloro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. ssoria@ffavaloro.org
authors.forename: Sonia M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Soria
authors.forename: Susana L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Roberto R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: María G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Pablo J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: Pedro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bulacio
authors.forename: Marcela I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Sixto
authors.forename: I Gustavo J
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Abdelnur
authors.forename: María E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Garay
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: María I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Leguina
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Véliz
authors.forename: Federico G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Villamil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D014463:Ultrasonography