Seroprevalence of hepatitis a in hemophiliacs
Molina, R.; Lorenzo, J.I.; Gómez, M.D.; Sarrión, A.; Haya, S.; Querol, F.; Aznar, J.A.
Sangre 41(5): 363-365
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-4355 PMID: 9026922 Document Number: 456186
To study the seroprevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in haemophiliacs treated with factor VIII/IX concentrates. Anti-HAV IgG antibodies were tested in 133 haemophiliacs previously treated (20 of them only infused with virus-inactivated factor concentrates), 11 previously untreated haemophiliacs and 60 healthy individuals (> 25 yr. old). The overall anti-HAV prevalence was 43%. Anti-HAV was found in 2 (10%) of the patients treated only with virus-inactivated concentrates and in 55 (49%) of those who had received non-inactivated concentrates. The seroprevalence in the untreated haemophiliacs was 27% and 90% in the healthy control group. The anti-HAV seroprevalence showed a significant (p < 0.001) dependence on patient age, it being higher in patients aged > 25 (77%) than in those aged 10-25 (31%) and < 10 (4%). The seroprevalence of anti-HAV was lower in the treated haemophiliacs aged 25 or more than in the healthy individuals, although the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.06). These results show that the seroprevalence of HAV infection in haemophiliacs is similar to that in the general population, and that there is not a significant excess of HAV infections amongst haemophiliacs with high exposure to coagulation factor concentrates.