Objective:

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a worlwide public health problem caused by a ubiquitous virus that is easily transmitted by the fecooral route. HAV infection usually has a benign course but occasionally results in fulminant hepatic failure. Patients with acute hepatitis A and chronic hepatitis B (HBV) have a more severe clinical course and a higher death rate compared with outherwise healthy individuals with hepatitis A. These differences are most pronounced in older patients and those with histological evidence of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, rather than in asymptomatic hepatitis B carriers. Therefore, vaccination is critical if patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are seronegative for HAV. In this study we aimed to determine the serology of HAV in patients infected with HBV and vaccinate those who were seronegative for anti HAV IgG.

Material and Method:

Patients with CHB and inactive HBsAg carriers followed in Kocatepe University Hospital Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology outpatient clinic were enrolled. The files of the patients were analyzed retrospectively.

Results:

In this study, a total of 273 patients were included; 114 (41.7%) were female and 159 (58.2%) were male. Of the patients, 178 (79 females, 99 males) were inactive hepatitis B surface antigene (HbsAg) carriers and 95 (28 females, 67 males) had CHB. The number of the patients seronegative for anti HAV IgG is 16 (5.8%). Mean age of the patients was 29.1. In all of these patients, HBV vaccination was initiated.

Conclusions:

In our country, HAV seropositivity in adults is known to be lower than in previous years and therefore in adult patients diagnosed with CHB, HAV serology should be investigated and patients seronegative for HAV should be vaccinated.

Keywords: HAV infection, hepatitis B virus, vaccination