Objectives Patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to repeated blood exposure, vascular access procedures, and blood transfusions. The study aimed to determine the seroconversion rates of HBV and HCV among patients undergoing dialysis and to identify associated risk factors.
Methods A total of 220 adult patients receiving dialysis who were seronegative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibodies at baseline were enrolled. Serologic testing was repeated at 6 months.
Results Sixteen patients (7.3%) seroconverted to HBsAg positivity, and 23 (10.5%) seroconverted to anti-HCV positivity. HBV seroconversion was significantly associated with multiple dialysis center visits. HCV seroconversion was significantly associated with dialyzer reuse, multiple dialysis center visits, and dialysis duration ≥2 years. Elevated liver enzyme levels were strongly correlated with seroconversion for both viruses.
Conclusion HBV and HCV seroconversion remain concerns in HD units. Standardized infection control practices, minimization of patient transfers, and strict adherence to national guidelines are essential to reducing risk.
Objectives The prevalence of hepatitis B in the Republic of Korea has declined, yet the disease burden persists. After various changes in targets and methods, the national hepatitis B surveillance system now exclusively monitors acute cases. We aimed to assess the alignment of this system with its intended purpose and to recommend improvements supporting the national strategic plan for viral hepatitis management.
Methods This study assessed acute hepatitis B cases reported to the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s mandatory surveillance system over a 10-year period (2013–2022). It evaluated 5 factors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Updated Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems: simplicity, positive predictive value, data quality, timeliness, and usefulness.
Results The nonspecific nature of acute hepatitis B symptoms, along with the complexity of diagnostic criteria, indicated a high potential for misreporting. The surveillance system demonstrated a high positive predictive value (94.4%), with data quality and timeliness also rated high. However, data following the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic indicate the need for improvement. Moreover, given the relative importance of specific characteristics of chronic infectious diseases, only limited interventions are implementable through the current surveillance system.
Conclusion The evaluation of the Republic of Korea’s acute hepatitis B surveillance system revealed high positive predictive value, data quality, and timeliness. However, improvements can be made in the misreporting of chronic cases and the system’s usefulness. More accurate reflection of the characteristics of acute hepatitis B cases is essential for better management of viral hepatitis.
Citations
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International Infectious Disease Surveillance Systems and Implications for Korea: Case of Bacterial Gastroenteritis Minsol Jo, Yerin Heo, Dong-Sook Kim, Inmyung Song Journal of Health Informatics and Statistics.2026; 51(1): 1. CrossRef
The burden of chronic hepatitis B and C in 2022 and progress towards elimination: a global report Fuqiang Cui, Diana Faini, Devin Razavi-Shearer, Homie Razavi, Casimir Manzengo Mingiedi, Monica Alonso Gonzalez, Ahmed Sabry Alaama, Antons Mozalevskis, Polin Chan, Kiyohiko Izumi, Mohamed Amine Ghrabi, Meg Doherty, Lesi Olufunmilayo, Niklas Luhmann, Cath The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.2026; 11(6): 509. CrossRef
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From Paper to Digital: Performance and Challenges of the Electronic Hepatitis B Surveillance System in Ninh Binh, Northern Vietnam (2017–2022) Hien T. Nguyen, Thai Q. Pham, Duc M. Hoang, Quang D. Tran, Giang T. Chu, Thuong T. Nguyen, Nam H. Le, Huyen T. Nguyen, Khanh C. Nguyen, Florian Vogt Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease.2024; 9(12): 299. CrossRef
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Objectives We aimed to estimate the impact of the national hepatitis B immunization program on the incidence of acute hepatitis B infection among adolescents in South Korea.
Methods We estimated the counterfactual incidence rate of reported acute hepatitis B among adolescents from 2016 to 2020 compared to the assumption that the national hepatitis B immunization program for children had not been implemented since 1995. The impact of the national hepatitis B immunization program for adolescents was measured by estimating the absolute risk reduction and averted acute hepatitis B infections among adolescents from 2016 to 2020 attributed to the national immunization program.
Results The relative risk reduction of acute hepatitis B among adolescents was estimated to be 83.5% after implementing the national hepatitis B immunization program. The incidence rate of reported acute hepatitis B infections among adolescents decreased from 0.39 to 0.06 per 100,000 person-years, and 43 acute hepatitis B infections, including 17 symptomatic cases, were averted annually from 2016 to 2020 by the national hepatitis B immunization program.
Conclusion The national hepatitis B immunization program for children was effective in preventing acute hepatitis B infection among adolescents in South Korea.
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Objectives
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a member of the hepadnavirus family. The HBV genome contains four genes designated as S, C, P, and X. The HBV X (HBx) gene encodes for a 16.5-kDa regulatory protein that enhances HBV replication and exerts multifunctional activities. The aim of this study is to describe the rapid and easy purification of HBx using ELP (elastin-like polypeptide) fusion protein. Methods
The ELP–HBx fusion protein was overexpressed in <i>Escherichia coli</i>. Environmental sensitivity was demonstrated via turbidity and dynamic light scattering as a function of temperature. HBx was purified as an ELP fusion protein. ELPs are biopolymers of the pentapeptide repeat Val-Pro-Gly-Xaa-Gly that undergo an inverse temperature phase transition. ELP follows in temperature and salt consistency, precipitation, and solution repetition (inverse transition cycling) with polypeptide, where it purifies the protein in a simple manner. Results
Fusion proteins underwent supramolecular aggregation at 40 ℃ in 1 M NaCl and slowly resolubilized at subphysiologic temperatures. ELP domain proteolysis liberated a peptide of comparable size and immunoreactivity to the commercial HBx. Conclusion
This study suggests that HBx can be purified rapidly and easily using inverse transition cycling, and that this method can be applied in determination of HBx 3D structures and HBx stability study.
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