title: Vietnamese community screening for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus.
abstract: Asian Americans represent an important cohort at high risk for viral hepatitis. To determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and HBV vaccination in a Vietnamese community, a total of 322 Vietnamese subjects from a local doctor's office and annual Vietnamese Health Fair were included in this study. Demographic and clinical data were collected. 2.2% of the screened cohort tested positive for anti-HCV and 9.3% tested positive for HBsAg. Unlike HBV-positive subjects, HCV-positive subjects had significantly higher liver enzymes (P = 0.0045 and P = 0.0332, respectively). The HBV-positive group was more likely to report jaundice (P = 0.0138) and a family history of HBV (P = 0.0115) compared to HBV-negative subjects. Forty-eight patients (15.5%) reported a family history of liver disease (HBV, HCV, HCC, cirrhosis, other). Of this 48, 68.8% reported no personal history of HBV vaccination and 77.1% reported no family history of vaccination for HBV. Among the 183 subjects without a family history of liver disease, 156 (85.2%) reported no personal history of vaccination and 168 (91.8%) reported no family history of vaccination. HBV vaccination rates in those reporting a family history of liver disease were significantly higher (P =0.020). There was a high prevalence of HBV infection in this community screening. Nevertheless, the rate for HBV vaccination was low. The low prevalence of abnormal liver enzymes in HBV-positive subjects emphasizes the need for screening to be triggered by risk factors and not by abnormal liver enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Center for Liver Diseases Outcomes Research Program, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Betty and Guy Beatty Center for Integrated Research, Falls Church, VA, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kallman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arsalla
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stepanova
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Wrobel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srishord
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Younossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies