94 ORIGINAL ARTICLE The characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis B in Turkey Corresponding author: Tuba Dal Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Dicle University 21280 Yenişehir, Diyarbakir, Turkey Phone: +90 412 248 800; Fax: +90 412 248 80 42; E-mail: tuba_dal@yahoo.com Original submission: 05 June 2013; Revised submission: 11 June 2013; Accepted: 11 July 2013. Med Glas (Zenica) 2014; 11(1):94-98 ABSTRACT Aim To evaluate the characteristics of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and summarize the treatment modalities. Methods By September 30, 2011 the data of 7871 HBsAg (+) pa- tients were complied and analysed according to demographic and medical records (age, sex, laboratory tests, treatment with antiviral agents) in thirty centres of Turkey. Results Of the 7871 patients 3078 (39.1%) were females; mean (standard deviation) age was 35 (14) years, 3180 (40.4%) were HBsAg positive (+) after admission to a hospital, 1488 (18.9%) after blood donation and 967 (11.9%) were found during routine screening. The HBV prevalence among relatives of HBsAg (+) patients was 1764 (22.4%), and most frequently infected fami- ly members were siblings and mothers, 4961 (63.0%) and 2149 (27.3%), respectively). Anti-HDV was negative in 7407 94.1% of patients. Three-fourths of the patients 6383 (81.1%) were HBeAg negative (-). Mean (SD) ALT was 85.8 (266.4) U/L. Majority of patients, 5588 (71.0%) were chronic hepatitis-B patients under tre- atment, while 2283 (29.0%) were asymptomatic carriers without treatment and only 165 (2.1%) of patients were cirrhotic and 6612 (84.0%) of those were compensated. One-third of the patients 2983 (37.9%) were under a combined treatment, while others were under monotherapy. Lamivudine, entecavir and adefovir were the most frequently used oral therapies, used for 2583 (32.8%), 11.6% and 787 (10.0%) of patients, respectively), while 2975 (37.8%) of patients were under interferon treatment. Conclusion Hepatitis B is still a problem in our country. First task of the physicians and our state should be to prevent the develo- pment and spread of the disease with education and vaccination programs, safe blood transfusions, and control of barbers. Key words: hepadnaviridae infections, prevalence, blood donor Mustafa Kemal Celen 1 , Suda Tekin Koruk 2 , Bilgehan Aygen 3 , Tuba Dal 4 , Oğuz Karabay 5 , Selma Tosun 6 , İftihar Koksal 7 , hüseyin Turgut 8 , Yusuf Onlen 9 , Ismail Balik 10 , Necmettin Yildirim 11 , Mehmet Sinan Dal 12 , Celal Ayaz 1 , Fehmi Tabak 13 1 Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 2 Harran University, Faculty of Medicine, Depart- ment of Infectious Diseases, Sanliurfa, Turkey, 3 Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Kayseri, Turkey, 4 Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 5 Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Sakarya, Turkey, 6 Manisa State Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Manisa, Turkey, 7 Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Trabzon, Turkey, 8 Pamukkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Denizli, Turkey, 9 Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Hatay, Turkey, 10 An- kara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Ankara, Turkey, 11 State Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Mardin, Turkey, 12 Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey, 13 Istanbul University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Istanbul, Turkey