Anti-hepatitis A virus frequency in adolescents at an outpatient clinic in São Paulo, Brazil

Hepatitis A seroprevalence in public school children in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, prior to the introduction of the hepatitis A universal childhood vaccination

This cross-sectional study was carried out between August 2011 and July 2012 in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Dried blood spot samples were collected on filter paper from 919 individuals between the ages of 1 and 19 and were tested for antibodies against the hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV). The total prevalence was 20.7%, while 94.7% of children under the age of 5 were found to be susceptible to HAV infection. The prevalence of anti-HAV increased with age, reaching 33.3% among individuals aged between 15 and 19, thereby indicating that this municipality has a low level of endemicity for hepatitis A. Age, non-white skin color, accustomed to swimming in the river and more than five people living at home were the factors that were associated with an increase in the chance of a positive anti-HAV result. Mother's education level (secondary or tertiary) was considered a protective factor for HAV infection. The data obtained showed that a large proportion of the children from Campos dos Goytacazes were at risk of HAV infection, which should be minimized with the introduction of the vaccination program against hepatitis A that was launched in the municipality in 2011.

Hepatitis A Is a Health Hazard for Iranian Pilgrims Who Go to Holly Karbala: A Preliminary Report

BACKGROUND

Iraq is a highly endemic area for the prevalence of hepatitis A and annually hosts a large number of Iranian pilgrims, most of whom are susceptible to infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV).

OBJECTIVES

This study reports the health hazard of hepatitis A for Iranian pilgrims who go to holly Karbala from the Mazandaran province.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, the data of all patients with acute hepatitis A admitted in the Razi teaching hospital from November 23, 2014 to January 24, 2015, with a history of recently returning from holly Karbala or being exposed to Karbala pilgrims, were registered.

RESULTS

A total number of nine patients were registered. Seven patients were male and two were female. The mean age was 30.11 ± 10.09.Two patients were from the same family. All patients had typical symptoms of acute hepatitis A. None of the patients died nor did fulminant occur in any patients. In addition, all patients were treated with supportive treatment and subsequently recovered.

CONCLUSIONS

This number of pilgrim patients with acute hepatitis A from a single province compels us to conduct more evaluations and follow up monitoring on all persons travelling to Karbala and be sensitive to early diagnoses of the pilgrims. In the future, it is important to be mindful of administering the HAV vaccine and Ig.

Declining prevalence of hepatitis A virus antibodies among children from low socioeconomic groups reinforces the need for the implementation of hepatitis A vaccination in Brazil

Age-related seroprevalence studies that have been conducted in Brazil have indicated a transition from a high to a medium endemicity of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in the population. However, most of these studies have focused on urban populations that experience lower incidence rates of HAV infection. In the current study, the prevalence of anti-HAV antibodies was investigated in children with a low socioeconomic status (SES) that live on the periphery of three capital cities in Brazil. A total of 1,162 dried blood spot samples were collected from individuals whose ages ranged from one-18 years and tested for anti-HAV antibodies. A large number of children under five years old (74.1-90%) were identified to be susceptible to HAV infection. The anti-HAV antibody prevalence reached ≥ 50% among those that were 10-14 years of age or older. The anti-HAV prevalence rates observed were characteristics of regions with intermediate level of hepatitis A endemicity. These data indicated that a large proportion of children with a low SES that live at the periphery of urban cities might be at risk of contracting an HAV infection. The hepatitis A vaccine that is currently offered in Brazil is only available for high-risk groups or at private clinics and is unaffordable for individuals with a lower SES. The results from this study suggest that the hepatitis A vaccine should be included in the Brazilian National Program for Immunisation.

Hepatite A: soroprevalência e fatores associados em escolares de São Luís (MA), Brasil

OBJETIVOS: Estimar a prevalência de anticorpos contra o vírus da hepatite A (antiVHA-IgG) em escolares de 7 a 14 anos de escolas públicas e privadas e identificar fatores demográficos, socioeconômicos e sanitários associados à prevalência de antiVHA-IgG. MÉTODOS: Estudo soroepidemiológico para detecção de antiVHA-IgG, de abril de 2002 a abril de 2004, em 462 escolares de São Luís, com idades compreendidas entre 7 e 14 anos, do ensino fundamental. Participaram 30 escolas aleatoriamente selecionadas, com probabilidade proporcional ao número de alunos matriculados, sendo 23 públicas e 7 privadas. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de questionário estruturado. Para se identificar variáveis independentemente associadas à prevalência do antiVHA-IgG, foi realizada análise de regressão de Poisson múltipla, sendo estimadas as RPs ajustadas e respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95%. Somente permaneceram no modelo final aquelas variáveis associadas com a prevalência da hepatite A com p < 0,10. Foi adotado o nível de significância de 0,05 (α = 0,05). RESULTADOS: A prevalência de antiVHA-IgG foi de 64%, sendo de 71,5% nas escolas públicas e de 36,5% nas privadas. Após análise multivariável, idade de 11 a 14 anos, mais de uma pessoa por dormitório e menos de dois banheiros por domicílio foi associada a maiores prevalências de antiVHA-IgG. Maior escolaridade dos pais esteve associada à menor prevalência de antiVHA-IgG. CONCLUSÕES: A hepatite A é endêmica nos escolares de São Luís, com taxa de prevalência semelhante àquela encontrada em outras regiões do país com condições socioeconômicas e sanitárias similares. Fatores historicamente associados à maior prevalência da hepatite A foram também identificados nesta população.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis A immunity among brazilian adult patients with liver cirrhosis: is HAV vaccination necessary?

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic liver disease have a higher risk of fulminant hepatitis when infected with hepatitis A virus, and vaccination of these patients against such infection is recommended. In Brazil, mainly in the South and Southeast regions, the epidemiology of hepatitis A (HA) has shifted from high to intermediate endemicity, which would have implication on policy of HA vaccination for these populations.

OBJECTIVE

To verify the prevalence of HA immunity in adult patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), in Uberlândia MG, a city of Southeastern Brazil.

METHODS

Between December 2005 and December 2006, 106 patients with LC were consecutively evaluated. In addition, 75 individuals without LC or alcoholism were evaluated (control group - CG).

RESULTS

Total anti-HAV (ELISA methods) was positive in 104 (98.1%) patients with LC (82 men, 24 women; mean age, 53.3 ± 11.9 years) and in 74 (98.7%) individuals of the CG (55 men, 20 women; mean age, 47 ± 11.6 years), p > 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with chronic liver disease, in the geographic regions and age groups evaluated, routine vaccination against hepatitis A is not recommended. Moreover, the serum determination of total anti-HAV, used to assess immunity, is five times cheaper than vaccination against hepatitis A and, for this reason, should precede vaccination.

Hepatic stellate cell activation and hepatic fibrosis in children with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis: an immunohistochemical study of paired liver biopsies before treatment and after clinical remission

OBJECTIVES

The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is considered the most important event in hepatic fibrogenesis. The precise mechanism of this process is unknown in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and more evidence is needed on the evolution of fibrosis. The aim of this study was to assess these aspects in children with type 1 AIH.

METHODS

We analyzed 16 liver biopsy samples from eight patients, paired before treatment and after clinical remission, performed an immunohistochemical study with anti-alpha actin smooth muscle antibody and graded fibrosis and inflammation on a scale of 0-4 (Batts and Ludwig scoring system).

RESULTS

There was no significant reduction in fibrosis scores after 24+/-18 months (2.5+/-0.93 vs. 2.0+/-0.53, P=0.2012). There was an important decrease in inflammation: portal (2.6+/-0.74 vs. 1.3+/-0.89, P=0.0277), periportal/periseptal (3.0+/-0.76 vs. 1.4+/-1.06, P=0.0277), and lobular (2.8+/-1.04 vs. 0.9+/-0.99, P=0.0179). Anti-alpha actin smooth muscle antibodies were expressed in the HSC of the initial biopsies (3491.93+/-2051.48 mum), showing a significant reduction after remission (377.91+/-439.47 microm) (P=0.0117).

CONCLUSION

HSC activation was demonstrated in the AIH of children. The reduction of this activation after clinical remission, which may precede a decrease in fibrosis, opens important perspectives in the follow-up of AIH.

Hemophagocytic syndrome associated with hepatitis A: case report and literature review

Virus-Associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome (VAHS) is a severe hematological disorder related to some viral infections. It is an illness characterized by persistent fever, pancytopenia, splenomegaly, hyperferritinemia and, the most important, hemophagocytosis observed in the bone marrow, liver and/or lymph nodes. VAHS associated with hepatitis A virus infection is rarely described, despite the high incidence of this viral infection in the population in general. There is no consensus in the literature regarding the optimal treatment of VAHS. In this article the clinical features, presumed pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria and treatment of VAHS are discussed, including description of cases of VAHS related to hepatitis A virus infection found in the medical literature.

Prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A virus among the Kuikuro and Kaiabi Indians of Xingu National Park, Brazil

A seroprevalence study to detect total antibodies against Hepatitis A Virus was done with 220 samples from 589 Native Indians from Xingu National Park, Brazil, in five Kaiabi and Kuikuro villages, the most populous ethnic groups. Using a commercial immunoassay kit we detected 97.7% positive samples (95% Confidence Interval: 95%-99%). We noticed a precocious seroconversion, before the age of six years, when the disease is usually asymptomatic. These results are similar to those found in the literature in non-Indian population studies of the Northern, Northeastern and West Central regions of Brazil. They suggest that it is not necessary to introduce vaccination against Hepatitis A in these highly endemic populations.