Asunto(s)
Antivirales/uso terapéutico , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/epidemiología , Hepatitis C Crónica/complicaciones , Hepatitis C Crónica/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias Hepáticas/epidemiología , Anciano , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/etiología , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Neoplasias Hepáticas/etiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Respuesta Virológica SostenidaRESUMEN
The role of familial environment in the spreading of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is not well established. We studied 1670 family members for 578 anti-HCV+ subjects enrolled in 8 centres distributed throughout Italy. The prevalence of anti-HCV positivity was significantly higher in spouses than in offspring (15.6% and 2.1% respectively; p < 0.01), with no difference between northern and central-southern regions of Italy. Anti-HCV positivity was found almost exclusively in adults; among offspring, during the first two decades of life, the prevalence of anti-HCV positivity was significantly lower than in subjects over 20 years old (0.6% vs 3.1%, respectively).
Asunto(s)
Salud de la Familia , Anticuerpos Antihepatitis/análisis , Hepatitis C/epidemiología , Esposos , Adulto , Anciano , Transmisión de Enfermedad Infecciosa , Femenino , Hepatitis C/inmunología , Hepatitis C/transmisión , Anticuerpos contra la Hepatitis C , Humanos , Transmisión Vertical de Enfermedad Infecciosa , Italia/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , PrevalenciaRESUMEN
UNLABELLED: Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) has been widely investigated in many categories; however no data are available on hospital personnel. The aim of our study was to investigate whether hospital personnel are at risk for HCV infection. METHODS: sera collected during a prospective study on HBV infection in hospital workers done in our institution in 1985 were analyzed for the ELISA test for anti-HCV from Ortho Diagnostic System. Sera were stored at -20 degrees C and were never defrosted until tested. A population of a consecutive series of healthy volunteer blood donors was used as a control group. RESULTS: the anti-HCV prevalence was higher in hospital personnel, than in blood donors (4.5 versus 1.1, p less than 0.001, Odds Ratio 4.5, Confidence Limits 2.9-7.2). CONCLUSION: although anti-HCV is not an "ideal" test for epidemiological purposes, our study suggests that hospital personnel is at high risk for HCV infection.