Resumen

Introduction: Viral hepatitis in children is a major public health problem worldwide. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of serological markers for hepatitis A, B and C infections in Mexican children diagnosed with hepatitis during a five-year period. Material and methods: A total of 31,818 children admitted to a tertiary level hospital in Mexico from 2005 to 2009 were evaluated for hepatitis. Results: Hepatitis was found in 215 (0.7%) of the children. Serum samples from hepatitis-positive children were screened for anti-HAV IgM, HBsAg, total anti-HBc and anti-HCV. HAV was the leading cause of viral hepatitis (81%), followed by HBV and HCV (3.1 and 2%, respectively), whereas no serological marker was observed in 13.9% of the analyzed samples. Furthermore, when children were categorized by age, a significant increase in anti-HAV detection was observed in school-aged children (7-11 years old) (p < 0.001) and a reduction in adolescents (12-15 years old). Conclusion: In conclusion, hepatitis A is the most prevalent viral hepatitis infection detected in children, followed by HBV and HCV. In addition, the high percentage of hepatitis infections without a known etiological agent and the serological test limitations require the detection of occult HBV, HCV and hepatitis E infections. The age-dependent vulnerability of groups with HAV infections emphasizes the importance of HAV vaccination in young children in Mexico.

Palabras clave: Hepatitis A virus hepatitis B virus hepatitis C virus mexican children.

2012-02-10   |   776 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 11 Núm.2. Marzo-Abril 2012 Pags. 194-201 Ann Hepatol 2012; 11(2)