Hepatitis B virus is still the most common etiologic factor of liver cirrhosis: Results from a single center in Turkey

Objective: It is important to examine the epidemiology of liver cirrhosis (LC) because of it is a preventable disease. In this single-center study, we aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics and etiology of LC in Central Anatolian region of Turkey.\udMethods: We reviewed data of patients with liver cirrhosis who presented to outpatient and inpatient clinics of our medical center between January 1, 2011 and September 31, 2014\udResults: Overall, 135 patients were included to the study: 91 men (67.4%) and 44 women (33%) with a mean age of 63±14,3 years (range: 15–87years). The primary causes of cirrhosis were chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (n: 52, 38.5%) and cryptogenic cirrhosis (n: 33, 24.4%). CHB was the main etiology of cirrhosis in men (49.5%) and cryptogenic LC was predominant in women (40.9%). Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis were solely male. Percentage of patients with autoimmune hepatitis was significantly higher among women (70%). The percentage of patients with HBV was similar between patients aged<50 and >50 years (31.6% and 39.7%, respectively), but percentage of patients with hepatitis C virus was lower (5.3%) in patients aged<50 years when compared to those aged>50 years (14.7%). There was no cirrhotic patients under 50 years of age due to a genetic disorder\udConclusion: Despite national vaccination program, effective treatment regimens and intensive screening methods against hepatitis B virus, it remains to be the most common cause of LC in our country