Brief Article
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World J Hepatol. Apr 27, 2013; 5(4): 214-219
Published online Apr 27, 2013. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v5.i4.214
Hepatitis B infection among adults in the philippines: A national seroprevalence study
Stephen N Wong, Janus P Ong, Madalinee Eternity D Labio, Oscar T Cabahug, Maria Lourdes O Daez, Erlinda V Valdellon, Jose D Sollano Jr, Marilyn O Arguillas
Stephen N Wong, Jose D Sollano Jr, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila 1008, Philippines
Janus P Ong, Maria Lourdes O Daez, Section of Gastroenterology, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, Manila 1000, Philippines
Madalinee Eternity D Labio, Center for Liver Disease Management and Transplantation, The Medical City, Pasig 1605, Philippines
Oscar T Cabahug, Erlinda V Valdellon, College of Medicine, University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Quezon City 1113, Philippines
Marilyn O Arguillas, Department of Internal Medicine, Davao Doctors Hospital, Davao 8000, Philippines
Author contributions: Wong SN, Ong JP and Labio MED contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data and in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content; Cabahug OT and Daez MLO contributed to the conception and design and in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content; Valdellon EV, Sollano Jr JD and Arguillas MO contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data and in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
Correspondence to: Janus P Ong, MD, MPH, Section of Gastroenterology, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, Taft Avenue, Manila 1000, Philippines. janong@mac.com
Telephone: +63-2-5672983  Fax: +63-2-5672983
Received: September 30, 2012
Revised: January 7, 2013
Accepted: February 28, 2013
Published online: April 27, 2013
Processing time: 209 Days and 2.9 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Chronic hepatitis B has a significant public health impact in the Philippines because it is a common cause of end stage liver disease and is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma, the latter being the fourth leading cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the country. However, an accurate estimate of the national prevalence of hepatitis B infection in the Philippines is lacking. To determine the national prevalence of hepatitis B infection in the Philippines, testing for hepatitis B surface antigen was undertaken on serum samples collected from subjects included in the National Nutrition and Health Survey.