Clinical features of acute viral hepatitis B in Korea: a multi-center study.
OBJECTIVE
The incidence of Hepatitis B has significantly declined since the introduction of an HBV vaccination program. The aim of this study was to investigate recent clinical features of acute viral hepatitis B (AVH-B) in Korea.


METHODS
A total of 2241 patients with acute viral hepatitis were enrolled and their data were collected from nine medical-centers between January 2006 and December 2009.


RESULTS
One hundred nineteen (5.3%) of the 2241 were diagnosed as AVH-B. Among 78 patients with AVH-B whose data were analyzed, 50 were male, and the mean age was 38.6 years. In an initial test, mean AST, ALT and total-bilirubin levels were 1296.2 IU/L, 2109.6 IU/L and 9.3 mg/dl, respectively. Positivity frequencies for HBeAg and anti-HBe were 55.1% and 67.9%, respectively, and the mean HBV DNA level was 5.2 log10 copies/ml. The mean length of hospitalization was 11.6 days. During follow-up, AST, ALT and total bilirubin levels were normalized or near-normalized in all patients without serious complications. Sixty-three of 66 (95.4%) patients showed HBsAg loss and 37 (56.1%) patients showed HBsAg seroconversion. Only 3 patients (4.5%) showed persistent hepatitis B viremia. There was no case of death or liver transplantation. Nine patients (11.3%) had received anti-viral agents and their clinical outcomes were not significantly different from those of patients treated without antiviral agents.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of AVH-B among acute hepatitis patients is relatively low in Korea. AVH-B infection can be cured without complications in almost all patients, regardless of antiviral treatment.
Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hye Jin
HJ
Choi
Soon Young
SY
Ko
Won Hyeok
WH
Choe
Yeon Seok
YS
Seo
Ji Hoon
JH
Kim
Kwan Soo
KS
Byun
Young Seok
YS
Kim
Seung Up
SU
Kim
Soon Koo
SK
Baik
Jae Youn
JY
Cheong
Tae Yeob
TY
Kim
Oh Sang
OS
Kwon
Jeong Han
JH
Kim
Chang Hong
CH
Lee
So Young
SY
Kwon
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin