Distribution of Different Clinical Forms of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection among HBV Infected Patients Referred to Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran

Aims: Despite the vast global vaccination programs against the HBV infection, millions of people are chronic HBV carriers worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the distribution of different clinical forms of Hepatitis B infection among HBV infected patients to find the frequency of people at risk of developed liver diseases in Isfahan province.Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on ۶۰۰ HBV infected patients admitted to Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan from March ۲۰۱۷ to March ۲۰۱۸. Based on the virological markers, HBV infection in participants was categorized into four clinical forms including post-infection immunity, acute hepatitis, asymptomatic carrier state, and chronic active hepatitis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for screening HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, HBeAg, anti-HBe, and viral DNA in serum samples.Findings: In this study, ۳۰۸ (۵۱.۳%) females and ۲۹۲ (۴۷.۷%) males with HBV infection and the mean age of ۳۹ years were participated, of whom ۱۸۹ (۳۱.۵%), ۱۷۲ (۲۸.۷%), ۱۳۸ (۲۳%), and ۱۰۱ (۱۶.۸%) participants were found to be in the post-infection immunity, acute hepatitis, asymptomatic carrier state (inactive carrier), and chronic active hepatitis forms of HBV infection, respectively.Conclusion: The results of this study highlighted the high prevalence of asymptomatic carrier and chronic active hepatitis forms of HBV infection in ۲۰-۴۰ year old patients. Extensive measurements are needed to determine the prevalence of these two mentioned forms of HBV infection in all provinces of Iran in order to control the economic and life burden of disease in people not covered by the infant vaccination programs in Iran.

Keywords:

Hepatitis B , Clinical form , Isfahan , Iran