Aboriginal Taiwanese hepatitis B carriers have more favorable viral factors than Han Chinese carriers

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J Med Virol. 2011 Aug;83(8):1326-31. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22135.

Aboriginal Taiwanese hepatitis B carriers have more favorable viral factors than

Han Chinese carriers

Nien HC, Sheu JC, Kao JH, Chou HC, Su CW, Chen CH.

Source

Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan;

Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of

Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan

University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei,

Taiwan.

Abstract

Several viral factors are associated with disease progression in hepatitis B

virus (HBV) carriers. Compared with Taiwanese Han Chinese, Taiwanese aborigines

have a higher prevalence of chronic HBV infection and a higher standardized

mortality rate of chronic liver diseases but a lower standardized mortality rate

of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate

whether aboriginal Taiwanese HBV carriers have more favorable viral factors

which reduce the risk for HCC than Han Chinese carriers. Blood samples from

3,488 HBV carriers (1,527 aborigines and 1,961 Han Chinese) were assayed for

aminotransferases, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA, and HBV genotype.

Aboriginal HBV carriers had a lower HBeAg-positive rate (5.3% vs. 10.2%,

P < 0.0001) and a lower viral load of HBV DNA > 2,000 IU/ml (27.4% vs.

36.7%, P < 0.0001) but a higher rate of alcohol consumption (40.0% vs.

19.3%, P < 0.0001) than Han Chinese carriers. The prevalence of HBV genotype

B in aboriginal carriers (92.7%) was significantly higher than that in Han

Chinese carriers (72.7%) in all age groups (P < 0.05). In addition, patients

with rare genotype D infections were clustered in a township in southern Taiwan.

In conclusion, aboriginal Taiwanese HBV carriers have more favorable viral

factors than Han Chinese carriers, which may be partly responsible for the lower

standardized mortality rate of HCC in Taiwanese aborigines.

J. Med. Virol. 83:1326-1331, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 21678436 [PubMed - in process

[Guest guest]

J Med Virol. 2011 Aug;83(8):1326-31. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22135.

Aboriginal Taiwanese hepatitis B carriers have more favorable viral factors than

Han Chinese carriers

Nien HC, Sheu JC, Kao JH, Chou HC, Su CW, Chen CH.

Source

Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan;

Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of

Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan

University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei,

Taiwan.

Abstract

Several viral factors are associated with disease progression in hepatitis B

virus (HBV) carriers. Compared with Taiwanese Han Chinese, Taiwanese aborigines

have a higher prevalence of chronic HBV infection and a higher standardized

mortality rate of chronic liver diseases but a lower standardized mortality rate

of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate

whether aboriginal Taiwanese HBV carriers have more favorable viral factors

which reduce the risk for HCC than Han Chinese carriers. Blood samples from

3,488 HBV carriers (1,527 aborigines and 1,961 Han Chinese) were assayed for

aminotransferases, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), HBV DNA, and HBV genotype.

Aboriginal HBV carriers had a lower HBeAg-positive rate (5.3% vs. 10.2%,

P < 0.0001) and a lower viral load of HBV DNA > 2,000 IU/ml (27.4% vs.

36.7%, P < 0.0001) but a higher rate of alcohol consumption (40.0% vs.

19.3%, P < 0.0001) than Han Chinese carriers. The prevalence of HBV genotype

B in aboriginal carriers (92.7%) was significantly higher than that in Han

Chinese carriers (72.7%) in all age groups (P < 0.05). In addition, patients

with rare genotype D infections were clustered in a township in southern Taiwan.

In conclusion, aboriginal Taiwanese HBV carriers have more favorable viral

factors than Han Chinese carriers, which may be partly responsible for the lower

standardized mortality rate of HCC in Taiwanese aborigines.

J. Med. Virol. 83:1326-1331, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 21678436 [PubMed - in process