Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A Antibodies in Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases

Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a positive-strand RNA virus that is transmitted feco-orally through person-to-person contact. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of Hepatitis A IgG antibodies in patients with chronic liver diseases. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 148 patients with chronic liver diseases. Data were collected from the gastroenterology and hepatology outpatient clinic of Aswan University Hospital. Results: 108(73%) patients were negative for HAV IgG while 40(27%) patients were positive for HAV IgG. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups according to pelvi-abdominal ultrasound findings regarding liver cirrhosis ,liver size and focal lesions, splenomegaly, ascites, PV dilation Also, there was no statistically difference between the two groups as regard ascites, edema, flapping tremors, pallor, jaundice and hepatomegaly, There was statistically significant difference between the two groups according to lab investigation of CLD cases regarding immunity against HAV regarding Hemoglobin, Albumin (g/dl), T. Bilirubin (mg/dl). Conclusion: Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A(IgG) antibodies among patients with chronic liver diseases varies significantly compared to the general population, Acute HAV infection in these patients may result in acute-on-chronic liver failure, which is associated with poor outcomes , so we recommend Vaccination of chronic liver disease patients who are not immunized against HAV, and these results underscore the importance of considering Hepatitis A vaccination strategies tailored to the needs of patients with chronic liver disease, aiming to mitigate the risk of acute hepatitis A infection .