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© 1998 Oxford University Press

research-article

Lack of familial clustering of hepatitis C virus infection

Young Sik Kima, Hyun Sook Chib, Yoon-Ok Aknc, Hyo-Suk Leed and Michael J Kiage

aDepartments of Family Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine Seoul, Korea
bClinical Pathology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine Seoul, Korea
cDepartments of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine Seoul Korea
dInternal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicin Seoul, Korea
eWelch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Hygiene and Public Health Baltimore, MD, USA

BACKGROUND: Although transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through parental exposure is well documented, it is still controversial whether familial dustenng of HCV occurs.

METHODS: To investigate risk factors for HCV infection, 109 cases and 84 non-infected controls were studied. In addition, 250 family members (104 men, 146 women) of cases and 170 family members of controls (64 men, 106 women) were tested for HCV infection using an anti-HCV antibody, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and reverse transcribed polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS: In the case-control analysis, people aged ≥60 were almost three times more likely to be infected by HCV than those aged <40. Risk of HCV infection was most strongly related to a history of blood transfusion (OR = 12.6, 95% CI: 4.3–36.5) followed by a history of jaundice (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.3–12.6). Only one family member of cases and no-one related to the controls had HCV infection.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in Korea, age and parenteral exposure, such as a blood transfusion, are risk factors for HCV infection and familial clustering of HCV infection, if it occurs, is rare.

Keywords Hepatitis C virus, familial clustering, risk factor, reverse transcribed polymerase reverse transcribed polymerase, refugee

Accepted 28 October 1997


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