title: Clinical, demographic and epidemiological characteristics of patients with hepatitis B followed at a university hospital in southeastern Brazil: predominance of HBeAg negative cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B is common in Brazil, although there are regional differences regarding the degree of endemicity, the most frequent forms of transmission and the presence of different evolutive stages of chronic disease. The present study aimed to determine the clinical, demographic and epidemiological characteristics of patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) residing in the Ribeirão Preto region, southeastern Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 529 medical records of individuals with HBV monoinfection were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 60% of the subjects were males, with a mean age of 38 years-old. The HBeAg-negative serological pattern was verified in 84.4% of the patients, among whom the risk of vertical/intrafamily transmission was 43.2% (p = 0.02). The consumption of alcohol in amounts exceeding 20 g a day was observed in 21.3% of the subjects and was more frequent among men (33%) (p < 0.001). Among patients with cirrhosis, 54.1% were alcohol abusers (p = 0.04), all of them males. The presence of cirrhosis was more frequent in the HBeAg-positive group (24.4%) than in the HBeAg-negative group (10.2%) (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High proportions of HBV-infected subjects with an HBeAg-negative pattern were observed, with a higher risk of vertical/intrafamily transmission. Alcohol abuse was associated with male subjects and with cirrhosis of the liver in this group. A tendency toward an increase in the number of HBeAg-negative cases was observed over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. silvanachacha@ufscar.br
authors.forename: Silvana Gama Florencio
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Chachá
authors.forename: Sandro da Costa
authors.initials: Sda C
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Tarciana Vieira
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos de
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Almeida Filho
authors.forename: Márcia Guimarães
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Villanova
authors.forename: Fernanda Fernandes
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Andreza Correa
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: José Fernando de Castro
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zucoloto
authors.forename: Leandra Naira
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Ramalho
authors.forename: Afonso Dinis da Costa
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Passos
authors.forename: Ana de Lourdes Candolo
authors.initials: Ade L
authors.lastname: Martinelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens