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High Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Heavy Alcohol Drinkers in Japan
Author(s) -
Naito Kunihiko,
Tsuji Takao,
Nozaki Hajime,
Nagashima Hideo
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1977.tb00342.x
Subject(s) - medical school , medicine , gerontology , medical education
The pathogenesis of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis in alcoholics is obscure. We have examined hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (antiHBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in the serum of inhabitants of a district where habitual alcohol drinking is popular, and in control groups. As a result, a high rate of exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) among heavy alcohol drinkers was found. Aki City of Kochi Prefecture is known as a place of heavy alcohol drinking habitus (2). A total of 695 individuals were studied in Aki City. They included 21 drinkers who had an intake of more than 80 g ethanol per day over a period of 5 years or longer (considered to be heavy drinkers in Japan), 421 non-drinkers, and 253 children in the age range of 3-12 years. Verbal and clinical examinations, as well as tests for HBV related antigens and antibodies in the serum were performed. HBsAg was determined either by the immune adherence hemagglutination or by the immunoelectrophoresis method, anti-HBs by the passive hemmagglutination method and anti-HBc by the immunofluorescent complement method (5). As controls, 675 residents of Bizen City of Okayama Prefecture and 42,588 blood donors in Okayama Prefecture were studied. As shown in Table 1, HBsAg was found in one out of 21 alcohol drinkers at a rate (4.8%) not significantly different from that of non-alcohol drinkers or children in the same district, or that of control groups. In remarkable contrast, the prevalence of anti-HBs in alcohol drinkers was 42.9%, and was significantly higher than nonalcohol drinkers and children of the same district and Bizen citizens (21.1 %, 5.1 %, and 18.1% respectively). The prevalence of anti-HBc (71.4%) was also much higher in alcohol drinkers than in the other groups. It was significant that the incidence of HBV related antigens and antibodies in children of Aki City was much lower than among non-drinkers of the same district. As shown in Table 2, when the age-dependence was analysed, anti-HBs in nondrinkers tended to show increasingly higher incidences (11.3%-40.0%) as they grow older, but in the case of drinkers over the age of 40 years the incidence was about 45.5% to 50.0% sustaining about the same level. Furthermore, in comparison of incidences of anti-HBs between drinkers and non-drinkers of comparable ages, the incidence of anti-HBs in drinkers was higher than that of non-drinkers in the age group of over 40 years. The incidence of anti-HBc was similar as that of anti-HBs.