Incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and HCV‐RNA in blood donors and patients with liver diseases in the Inshore Area of the Yangtze River

摘要

AbstractThe Nantong area is a high risk region for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) in the inshore area of the Yangtze River. However, no detailed data are available about hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in this area. We examined the incidences of anti‐HCV and HCV‐RNA in blood donors with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐ and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)‐negative and patients with chronic liver diseases in the Nantong area at Nantong Medical College, Jiangsu Province, the People's Republic of China. The incidences of HBV markers (HBsAg and/or HBcAb), anti‐HCV (C100‐3), second generation anti‐HCV, HCV‐RNA and any marker of HCV in the Nantong area were found to be: 0.0, 0.7, 0.4, 0.2 and 0.7 in donor bloods; 16.9, 0.0, 3.4, 15.7 and 16.9 in patients with acute hepatitis; 82.8, 2.7, 4.8, 7.5 and 10.2 in those with chronic hepatitis; 86.4, 4.5, 9.1, 4.5 and 11.4 in those with liver cirrhosis; 87.5, 6.3, 0.0, 0.0 and 6.3 in those with PHC; and 21.8, 1.3, 1.3, 0.0 and 1.3 in patients without liver diseases, respectively. Although the Nantong area is a high risk region for PHC, these data suggest that HCV infection is not an important aetiological factor for P