Comparison of Patients with and without Coronavirus-19 Infection in Terms of Acquired Immune Response to Hepatitis A: A Retrospective Study

Year 2023, Volume: 18 Issue: 2, 16 - 21, 12.07.2023

Tayibe Bal , Hasibullah Yaqoobi , Yusuf Önlen , Mehmet Çabalak , Serdar Doğan

https://doi.org/10.17517/ksutfd.1102741

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine whether there is a difference in the level of immune response against hepatitis A virus between patients with and
without COVID-19 infection.
Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with COVID-19 disease (confirmed by PCR positivity) who were followed in our clinic between 1 June 2020 and 1
September 2020 were enrolled in this cross-sectional, retrospective, single-center study. A total of 150 patients, who had similar demographic characteristics
and were randomly selected among the patients who Anti HAV IgG levels were determined during their admission to our clinic in the last two years before
the pandemic (November 1, 2017-November 1, 2019) were taken as the control group. Anti-HAV IgG seropositivity rates and serum antibody titers were
compared between these two groups.
Results: The median age of the 200 cases was 48.5 (25.-75.Quartiles=43.0-59.0) years, 108 (54%) were male and 92 (46%) were female. One hundred, and
forty-two of the cases were 60 years and above, but the proportion of the patients aged 60 and over in the patient groups was similar (p=0.105). Although
anti-HAV IgG seropositivity rates in COVID-19 patients were similar to cases in the control group (p=0.062), anti-HAV IgG titers in COVID-19 cases were
found to be significantly lower than in control patients (p<0.001). Anti-HAV IgG titers were found to be significantly lower in critical COVID-19 patients
(n=7) compared to other COVID-19 patients (n=43, p=0.049). In addition, it was observed that there was a significant and strong correlation between the
anti-HAV IgG titer and the presence of critical COVID-19 disease (η=0.988).
Conclusion: Although our results seem to support the thesis that the presence of HAV vaccine or previous HAV infection may be protective against COVID-
19 infection, especially in terms of preventing critical disease course, prospective studies with larger patient series are needed to confirm these results.ed to confirm these results.

Keywords

anti-HAV IgG antibody titer, COVID-19, hepatitis A vaccine.

Koronavirüs-19 Enfeksiyonu Olan ve Olmayan Olguların Hepatit A Virüsüne Karşı Kazanılmış İmmün Yanıt Açısından Karşılaştırılması: Retrospektif Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma ile COVID-19 enfeksiyonu olan ve olmayan olgular arasında Hepatit A virüsüne karşı kazanılmış immün yanıt düzeyi açısından fark
bulunup bulunmadığının irdelenmesi amaçlanmıştır.
Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu retrospektif, kesitsel, tek merkez çalışmasına kliniğimizde 1 Haziran 2020-1 Eylül 2020 tarihleri arasında COVID-19 hastalığı
(PCR pozitifliği ile doğrulanmış) nedeniyle takip edilmiş 50 olgu dahil edildi. Benzer demografik özelliklere sahip olan, salgın öncesindeki son iki yılda (1
Kasım 2017–1 Kasım 2019) kliniğimize başvuruları sırasında Anti HAV IgG düzeyleri belirlenmiş olgular arasından rastlantısal olarak seçilen toplam 150
olgu ise kontrol grubu olarak alındı. Bu iki grup arasında Anti-HAV IgG seropozitiflik oranları ile serum antikor titreleri karşılaştırıldı.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya dahil edilen toplam 200 olgunun ortanca yaşı 48.5 (IQR=43.0-59.0) yıl olup, 108’i (%54) erkek, 92’si (%46) kadındı. Olguların 142’si
(%71) 60 yaş ve üzerinde idi, ancak hasta grupları içerisindeki 60 yaş ve üzeri olguların oranı benzerdi (p=0.105). COVID-19 olgularındaki Anti-HAV IgG
seropozitifliği oranları kontrol grubundaki olgularla benzer olmakla birlikte (p=0.062), COVID-19 olgularındaki anti HAV IgG titrelerinin, kontrol olgularındakine
göre anlamlı oranda daha düşük olduğu görüldü (p<0.001). Anti-HAV IgG titrelerinin kritik seyirli COVID-19 olgularında (n=7), diğer COVID-19
olgularına (n=43) göre anlamlı oranda daha düşük olduğu görüldü (p=0.049). Buna ek olarak anti-HAV titresi ile kritik COVID-19 hastalığı varlığı arasında
anlamlı ve güçlü düzeyde bir ilişki olduğu (η=0.988) görüldü.
Sonuç: Sonuçlarımız HAV aşısı veya geçirilmiş HAV enfeksiyonu varlığının COVID-19 enfeksiyonunda, özellikle kritik hastalık seyrinin önlenmesi açısından,
koruyucu olabileceğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

Anti-HAV IgG Antikor Titresi, COVID-19, Hepatit A Aşısı.

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