Recent trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the general Korean population

Abstract

Background/AimsHepatitis B virus (HBV) is the major cause of chronic liver disease in Korea, but viral prevalence has decreased because of hepatitis B vaccination programs. In this study, we investigated longitudinal changes in HBV in fection in the general Korean population.MethodsHBV surface antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen, HBsAg) seropositivity was assessed from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (I to V). In total, 50,140 subjects were tested for serum HBsAg positivity over a period of 12 years (1998 to 2010).ResultsThe prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity decreased over the study period. The rates of HBsAg carriers were 4.61% in 1998, 4.60% in 2001, 3.69% in 2005, 3.01% in 2008, and 2.98% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). The reduction in HBV infection rates was more prominent in younger age groups. Among teenagers (10 to 19 years), the percentage of HBsAg carriers decreased from 2.2% in 1998 to 0.12% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). Among those aged 10 to 39 years, the percentage of HBV infection decreased from 4.72% in 1998 to 2.29% in 2010 (p < 0.0001). However, no decreasing trend in HBsAg positivity was observed among those aged 50 or older (p > 0.05). Neither gender nor socioeconomic status were associated with the decreased prevalence of HBsAg carriers.ConclusionsHBV infection has decreased in the Korean population since the advent of vaccination programs. However, the decrease is limited to the younger population, and viral persistence remains in the middle-aged and older population.

Hepatitis B virus infection in South Korea: three decades after universal vaccination

“…However, a decade passed until the universal vaccination program was implemented. Since then, as show by Kim et al [7] in this issue, the prevalence of HBV infection has decreased continually (Fig. 1), which is in line with reports from neighboring countries [4,5].…”

Increasing burden of liver cancer despite extensive use of antiviral agents in a hepatitis B virus‐endemic population

“…Therefore, our data fulfill the expectation of the above modeling study by providing real‐world data on population level. We excluded deaths from ALD from the primary analyses for liver disease mortality; there were no significant changes in the prevalence of chronic HBV (around 4.5%) and HCV (around 1.2%) infection among adults and in the treatment of HCV in Korea during the study period . Therefore, our findings could be explained by advancements in management of HBV.…”

A Single Center Analysis of the Positivity of Hepatitis B Antibody after Neonatal Vaccination Program in Korea

“…According to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, individuals with normal immune functions cannot receive booster vaccination who have already completed a vaccination (24). But there are recent contradictory reports that the effects of neonatal HBV vaccination in protecting against HBV infections would last for at least 20 years if performed during childhood and adulthood following an analysis of the rate of anti-HBs seropositivity in individuals receiving the primary hepatitis B vaccination series using the plasma-derived vaccine, which was followed by the conclusion that booster vaccination would not be mandatory (212526).…”