Aboriginal Taiwanese hepatitis B carriers have more favorable viral factors than Han Chinese carriers
Journal
Journal of Medical Virology
Journal Volume
83
Journal Issue
8
Pages
1326-1331
Date Issued
2011
Author(s)
Abstract
Several viral factors are associated with disease progression in hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. Compared with Taiwanese Han Chinese, Taiwanese aborigines have a higher prevalence of chronic HBV infection and a higher standardized mortality rate of chronic liver diseases but a lower standardized mortality rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate whether aboriginal Taiwanese HBV carriers have more favorable viral factors which reduce the risk for HCC than Han Chinese carriers. Blood samples from 3,488 HBV carriers (1,527 aborigines and 1,961 Han Chinese) were assayed for aminotransferases, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA, and HBV genotype. Aboriginal HBV carriers had a lower HBeAg-positive rate (5.3% vs. 10.2%, P<0.0001) and a lower viral load of HBV DNA>2,000IU/ml (27.4% vs. 36.7%, P<0.0001) but a higher rate of alcohol consumption (40.0% vs. 19.3%, P<0.0001) than Han Chinese carriers. The prevalence of HBV genotype B in aboriginal carriers (92.7%) was significantly higher than that in Han Chinese carriers (72.7%) in all age groups (P<0.05). In addition, patients with rare genotype D infections were clustered in a township in southern Taiwan. In conclusion, aboriginal Taiwanese HBV carriers have more favorable viral factors than Han Chinese carriers, which may be partly responsible for the lower standardized mortality rate of HCC in Taiwanese aborigines. ? 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc..
SDGs
Other Subjects
aminotransferase; hepatitis B(e) antigen; virus DNA; Aborigine; adult; alcohol consumption; aminotransferase blood level; article; assay; blood sampling; cancer risk; Chinese; cluster analysis; controlled study; female; genotype; hepatitis B; Hepatitis B virus; human; liver cell carcinoma; major clinical study; male; mortality; nonhuman; parasite prevalence; Taiwan; virus load; Adult; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Carrier State; Disease Progression; DNA, Viral; Ethnic Groups; Female; Genotype; Hepatitis B e Antigens; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Humans; Liver Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Taiwan; Transaminases; Viral Load; Hepatitis B virus
Type
journal article