The characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis B in Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the characteristics of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and summarize the treatment modalities.


METHODS
By September 30, 2011 the data of 7871 HBsAg (+) patients were complied and analysed according to demographic and medical records (age, sex, laboratory tests, treatment with antiviral agents) in thirty centres of Turkey.


RESULTS
Of the 7871 patients 3078 (39.1%) were females; mean (standard deviation) age was 35 (14) years, 3180 (40.4%) were HBsAg positive (+) after admission to a hospital, 1488 (18.9%) after blood donation and 967 (11.9%) were found during routine screening. The HBV prevalence among relatives of HBsAg (+) patients was 1764 (22.4%), and most frequently infected family members were siblings and mothers, 4961 (63.0%) and 2149 (27.3%), respectively). Anti-HDV was negative in 7407 94.1% of patients. Three-fourths of the patients 6383 (81.1%) were HBeAg negative (-). Mean (SD) ALT was 85.8 (266.4) U/L. Majority of patients, 5588 (71.0%) were chronic hepatitis-B patients under treatment, while 2283 (29.0%) were asymptomatic carriers without treatment and only 165 (2.1%) of patients were cirrhotic and 6612 (84.0%) of those were compensated. One-third of the patients 2983 (37.9%) were under a combined treatment, while others were under monotherapy. Lamivudine, entecavir and adefovir were the most frequently used oral therapies, used for 2583 (32.8%), 11.6% and 787 (10.0%) of patients, respectively), while 2975 (37.8%) of patients were under interferon treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis B is still a problem in our country. First task of the physicians and our state should be to prevent the development and spread of the disease with education and vaccination programs, safe blood transfusions, and control of barbers.
1Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 2Harran University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sanliurfa, Turkey, 3 Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Kayseri, Turkey, 4Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 5Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sakarya, Turkey, 6Manisa State Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Manisa, Turkey, 7Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Trabzon, Turkey, 8Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Denizli, Turkey, 9Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hatay, Turkey, 10Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Ankara, Turkey, 11State Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Mardin, Turkey, 12Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 13Istanbul University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istanbul, Turkey.
Mustafa
M
Kemal Celen
Suda
S
Tekin Koruk
Bilgehan
B
Aygen
Tuba
T
Dal
Oğuz
O
Karabay
Selma
S
Tosun
Iftihar
I
Koksal
Hüseyin
H
Turgut
Yusuf
Y
Onlen
Ismail
I
Balik
Necmettin
N
Yildirim
Mehmet
M
Sinan Dal
Celal
C
Ayaz
Fehmi
F
Tabak
D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014421:Turkey
D000998:Antiviral Agents