Hepatitis A Seroprevalence in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients in Diyarbakir, Turkey

Objective: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis and may lead to serious clinical conditions such as acute liver failure, especially in adulthood. Evaluation of HAV serologies in the patient group with chronic viral hepatitis and to vaccinate susceptible individuals is recommended by the guidelines. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG in chronic hepatitis B patients who were followed in Bismil State Hospital in Diyarbakir where HBsAg positivity rates are higher than the national average. Methods: A total of 209 chronic hepatitis B patients, 121 (57.9%) males and 88 (42.1%) females who were followed at the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Micobiology Outpatient Clinic between January 1, 2015 and December 31,2016 were included in the study. Macro-ELISA (Architect i2000 SR, Abbott, Abbott Park, IL, USA) test kits were used to test for anti-HAV IgG, and patients' data were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Overall seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG was 98.6%. AntiHAV IgG seronegativity was highest in the <20 years of age group as 11.8%, followed by 1.6% in the 20-29 years old age group. Anti-HAV IgG positivity was present in all of the >= 30 years old age groups. Conclusions: Although anti-HAV IgG positivity is high in adult patients with chronic hepatitis B, HAV screening and vaccination of susceptible individuals should be performed, especially in adolescents and young adults.