Distribution of Different Clinical Forms of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection among HBV Infected Patients Referred to Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran

Despite the vast global vaccination programs against the HBV infection, millions of people are chronic HBV carriers worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the distribution of different clinical forms of Hepatitis B infection among HBV infected patients to find the frequency of people at risk of developed liver diseases in Isfahan province.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 600 HBV infected patients admitted to Al-Zahra hospital in Isfahan from March 2017 to March 2018. Based on the virological markers, HBV infection in participants was categorized into four clinical forms including post-infection immunity, acute hepatitis, asymptomatic carrier state, and chronic active hepatitis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for screening HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, HBeAg, anti-HBe, and viral DNA in serum samples.

In this study, 308 (51.3%) females and 292 (47.7%) males with HBV infection and the mean age of 39 years were participated, of whom 189 (31.5%), 172 (28.7%), 138 (23%), and 101 (16.8%) participants were found to be in the post-infection immunity, acute hepatitis, asymptomatic carrier state (inactive carrier), and chronic active hepatitis forms of HBV infection, respectively.

The results of this study highlighted the high prevalence of asymptomatic carrier and chronic active hepatitis forms of HBV infection in 20-40 year old patients.  Extensive measurements are needed to determine the prevalence of these two mentioned forms of HBV infection in all provinces of Iran in order to control the economic and life burden of disease in people not covered by the infant vaccination programs in Iran.