FREQUENCY OF DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS C VIRUS AMONG CONVENTIONALLY HEALTHY POPULATION OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Aim. Determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) among conditionally healthy population of Russian Federation. Materials and methods. Sera samples obtained from conditionally healthy population of the Russian Federation from 5 geographically distant regions with different levels of morbidity for hepatitis C were studied: Sverdlovsk, Rostov, Moscow regions, Tyva and Sakha (Yakutia) Republics. 4764 samples were studied in total obtained from individuals of 10 age groups: younger than 1, 1 - 4, 5 - 9, 10 - 14,15 - 19, 20 - 29, 30 - 39, 40 - 49,50 - 59, olderthan 60 years. Anti-HCV were determined by commercial ELISA. Results. The total prevalence of anti-HCV in 5 regions of Russian Federation was 2.6% (126/4764). The highest frequency of detection of anti-HCV was detected in Tyva and Yakutia Republics and was 3.3%, in other regions this parameter varied from 1,7 (Moscow region) to 3% in Sverdlovsk region. Peak parameters of anti-HCV detection among population in various regions were connected with various age groups: olderthan 60 years in Tyva and Yakutia Republics (11 and 9.9%, respectively), 40 - 49 in Moscow region (6.2%), 1 - 4 and 30 - 39 years in Sverdlovsk region (5.9 and 4.9%, respectively) and 20 - 39 in Rostov region (3.9%). Conclusion. Results of anti-HCV detection in various age cohorts of conditionally healthy population of Russian Federation give evidence regarding high morbidity with HCV of almost all the age groups in the interval from 20 to older than 60 years. Age cohorts were detected in each of the studied regions for which inclusion into regional screening programs is feasible.