To address the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemicity and HBV-related liver diseases in Mexico. Research literature reporting on HBsAg and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) prevalence in Mexican study groups were searched in NLM Gateway, PubMed, IMBIOMED, and others. Weighted mean prevalence (WMP) was calculated from the results of each study group. A total of 50 studies were analyzed. Three nationwide surveys revealed an HBsAg seroprevalence of less than 0.3%. Horizontal transmission of HBV infection occurred mainly by sexual activity and exposure to both contaminated surgical equipment and body fluids. High-risk groups exposed to these factors included healthcare workers, pregnant women, female sex workers, hemodialysis patients, and emergency department attendees with an HBsAg WMP ranging from 1.05% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-1.43) to 14.3% (95% CI, 9.5-19.1). A higher prevalence of anti-HBc in adults than those younger than 20 years was associated with the main risk factors. Anti-HBc WMP ranged from 3.13% (95% CI, 3.01-3.24) in blood donors to 27.7% (95% CI, 21.6-33.9) in hemodialysis patients. A heterogeneous distribution of HBV infection was detected, mainly in native Mexican groups with a high anti-HBc WMP of 42.0% (95% CI, 39.5-44.3) but with a low HBsAg WMP of 2.9% (95% CI 2.08-3.75). Estimations of the Mexican population growth rate and main risk factors suggest that HBsAg seroprevalence has remained steady since 1974. A low HBsAg prevalence is related to the low incidence of HBV-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) previously reported in Mexico.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.