Yonsei Med J.  2018 Nov;59(9):1072-1078. 10.3349/ymj.2018.59.9.1072.

Seroepidemiology of Hepatitis Viruses and Hepatitis B Genotypes of Female Marriage Immigrants in Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. lhwdoc@yuhs.ac
  • 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Korea.
  • 4Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Abstract

PURPOSE
The Korean society has moved rapidly toward becoming a multicultural society. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of hepatitis viruses and investigate hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypic diversity in female marriage immigrants.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Screening program was conducted at support centers for multicultural families in 21 administrative districts in Korea between July 2011 and January 2017. A total of 963 female marriage immigrants were included in this study. Blood samples were tested for hepatitis viral markers and HBV genotype.
RESULTS
Subjects' median age was 33 years (20-40 years), and they originated from nine countries including Vietnam (n=422, 43.8%), China (n=311, 32.3%), the Philippines (n=85, 8.8%), Cambodia (n=58, 6.0%), and Japan (n=39, 4.0%). About 30% (n=288) of subjects required hepatitis A vaccination. HBsAg positive rate was 5.4% (n=52). Positive HBsAg results were the highest in subjects from Southeast Asia (6.6%, n=38). Anti-HBs positive rate was 60.4% (n=582). About 34% (n=329) of subjects who were negative for anti-HBs and HBsAg required HBV vaccinations. Genotypes B and C were found in 54.6% (n=12) and 45.4% (n=10) of the 22 subjects with HBV, in whom genotypes were tested. Eight (0.8%) subjects were positive for anti-HCV. Positive anti-HCV results were the highest in subjects from Central Asia (7.9%, n=3).
CONCLUSION
Testing for hepatitis viral marker (hepatitis A virus IgG and HBsAg/anti-HBs) is needed for female marriage immigrants. Especially, HBV genotype B is different from genotype C of Koreans. Therefore, interest and attention to vaccination programs for female marriage immigrants are necessary for both clinicians and public health institutes.

Keyword

Hepatitis virus; prevalence; genotype; marriage; immigrants

MeSH Terms

Academies and Institutes
Asia
Asia, Southeastern
Biomarkers
Cambodia
China
Emigrants and Immigrants*
Female*
Genotype*
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis B*
Hepatitis Viruses*
Hepatitis*
Humans
Immunoglobulin G
Japan
Korea*
Marriage*
Mass Screening
Philippines
Prevalence
Public Health
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Vaccination
Vietnam
Biomarkers
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Immunoglobulin G

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV in female marriage immigrants according to subregion of Asia. Female marriage immigrants from Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia showed high seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV. Seroprevalence of IgG anti-HAV increased with age. *East Asia: China (n=311) and Japan (n=39), †Southeast Asia: Vietnam (n=422), Philippines (n=85), Cambodia (n=58), and Thailand (n=10), ‡Central Asia: Uzbekistan (n=18), Kazakhstan (n=7), and Mongolia (n=13). HAV, hepatitis A virus.

  • Fig. 2 Phylogenetic maximum likelihood tree for 22 subjects with positive HBV DNA. Sequences from China, Vietnam, and Cambodia are represented by closed circles, squares, and triangles, respectively. Reference sequences obtained from GenBank are marked with open circles. HBV genotypes B and C are also shown. Genotypes B and C obtained from GenBank (Accession numbers AB010290.B1, AB073830.B2, AB73823.B2, M54923.B3, AY033072.B4, AB073835.B4, AB219429.B5, AY123041.C1, AY217371.C1, AB205124.C2, X75656.C3, X75665.C3). HBV, hepatitis B virus; CHN, China; VIE, Vietnam; CAM, Cambodia.


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