HCV INFECTION IN THE NATIONAL SANATORIUM OF HANSEN'S DISEASE

• Published in: Japanese Journal of National Medical Services Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 257 - 260
• Main Authors: MATSUBAYASHI, Mamoru, TOYODA, Yaiko, NAMISATO, Masako, HIGASHI, Masaaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of National Medical Services 20.04.2003
• Subjects: dysfunction; genotype; HCV; leprosy; wound
• ISSN: 0021-1699; 1884-8729
• DOI: 10.11261/iryo1946.57.257

We studied HCV endemicity in National Kuryu-Rakusenen Sanatorium in 2001. 286 cases that received a routine medical checkup were examined. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibody was 65.3%. A significantly higher prevalence was found in males (71.1%) than in females (58.6%). Among antibody positive cases, HCV subtype was sequenced in 60 cases. We assumed 3 other cases to have viremia, because of their high titer of antibody, although we failed to find HCV genome. These 63 cases accounted for 22.1% of all studied and 33.9% of antibody positive cases. HCV genotype of II/1b was most frequently found (77.8%), similar to the general population in Japan. Cases having past history of lepromatous or near-lepromatous leprosy had significantly higherprevalence of antibody (71.2%) when compared to the cases classified as tuberculoid or near-tuberculoid leprosy (47.9%). From the clinical records up to and including 1975, cases having hand motor dysfunction and cases which received frequent skin-smear examination or prolonged wound care, were more prone to have HCV antibody. Our study suggested that; during the period when people didn't have enough understanding about infection through various medical practices, HCV infection might have spread among the people who were disposed to develop wounds.