Seroepidemiology of hepatitis b virus, hepatitis d virus, and human immunodeficiency virus infections among parenteral drug abusers in southern taiwan

Abstract

A total of 390 parenteral drug abusers (PDAs) at the Kaohsiung Municipal Narcotics Abstention Institute were examined for markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). All sera were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), surface antibody (anti-HBs), and core antibody (anti-HBc) by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and for antibody to HIV (anti-HIV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to HDV (anti-HDV) were also tested for HBsAg-positive serum samples. Although the HBsAg-positive rate (22.1%) among PDAs was similar to that of the general population in southern Taiwan, the HBV infection rate (99.2%) and the anti-HDV-positive rate (78.5%) among HBsAg-positive subjects were significantly higher than those of the general population in southern Taiwan (P less than 0.0001). None of the PDAs studied were positive for anti-HIV. The levels of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) among PDAs were significantly higher than those of the general population in southern Taiwan (P less than 0.0001). The more frequent the institutionalisation, the higher the infection rates with HBV and HDV and elevated levels of SGOT and SGPT. Horizontal transmission through parenteral drug abuse may be considered a possible reason for the significantly higher rates of HBV and HDV among parenteral drug abusers.

Viral hepatitis among male amphetamine‐inhaling abusers

“…In multivariate logistic regression, we also confirmed that tattoo was an independent related factor for being anti‐HCV positive. Several studies also have reported this consistent evidence of the link between tattoo and HCV infection in Taiwan 30–32 . In this study’s subjects the typical process of tattooing was done in the general community before entering prison.…”

Changing seroepidemiology of hepatitis B, C, and D virus infections in high‐risk populations

“…In contrast to the i.v. drug users in the Western countries, those in Taiwan are not yet affected by HIV as evidenced by seronegativity of HIV in this population [Beasley et al, 1981;Chung et al, 1989]. The prevalence of HCV infection among drug users has decreased significantly from 53% in our previous study in 1985 to 41% in the current study, with an estimated decrement rate of 0.75%/year [Lee et al, 1991].…”

Delta hepatitis: molecular biology and clinical and epidemiological features

“…By contrast, throughout China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, anti-HD seroprevalence is very low except for several isolated groups (43,44,50,102,134,162,163,196,206). High levels of HDV infection have been found in intravenous drug users in Taiwan (84%) (43,49) and in approximately 20% of Taiwanase prostitutes (87). In contrast to studies showing low prevalence of HDV infection in Southeast Asia and China, studies of over 2,300 HBsAg-positive subjects from six countries and nine islands in the Western Pacific revealed foci of high anti-HD seroprevalence in the islands of Western Samoa, Niue, Nauru (60), and the Pacific Republic of Kiribati (202).…”