Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Japanese Immigrants and Descendants: The Need to Strengthen Preventive and Control Measures.
Luiz Henrique Ferraz DemarchiLarissa Melo BandeiraDeborah Ledesma TairaMarina Castilhos Souza Umaki ZardinMary Luizia IbanhesAna Olivia Pascoto EspositoLarissa Domingues Castilho De ArrudaCrhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone GonçalvesSabrina Moreira Dos Santos Weis-TorresGabriela Alves CesarRivaldo Venâncio Da CunhaTayana Serpa Ortiz TanakaMarco Antonio Moreira PugaGrazielli Rocha De RezendeRoberta Barbosa LopesSilvia Naomi de Oliveira UeharaJoão Renato Rebello PinhoFlair Jose CarrilhoMichelle Soares Gomes GouvêaAna Rita Coimbra Motta-CastroPublished in: Viruses (2022)
This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Hepatitis B virus infection among Japanese immigrants and their descendants from São Paulo (SP), and to verify the occurrence of occult hepatitis B and coinfection with HCV, Delta, and HTLV. All samples ( n = 2.127) were tested for HBV serological markers by electrochemiluminescence. HBsAg and/or total anti-HBc positive samples were tested for HBV DNA by real-time PCR, and genotyped by sequencing using the Sanger methodology. The prevalence rate of HBV exposure was 13.4% (CI 95%: 11.9-14.9%), and 22 (1.1%) were HBsAg positive. A high rate of susceptibility to HBV infection was found (67.4%; CI 95%: 65.4-69.4%). In contrast, only 19.2% (CI 95%: 17.6-20.9%) presented a serological profile analogous to that elicited by Hepatitis B vaccination. HBV isolates ( n = 8) were classified as genotypes HBV/B1 (62.5%), HBV/C2 (12.5%), HBV/F1b (12.5%), and HBV/A1 (12.5%). Hepatitis B vaccination strategies and educational measures to control this infection should be considered.