Serologic Immunity to Hepatitis A and B in US Adults and High-Risk Populations
JAMA Internal Medicine·
- DOI
- 10.1001/jamainternmed.2026.3831
- PMID
- —
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7203617821
- Study type
- Cross-sectional study
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Widespread susceptibility across multiple demographic and clinical strata suggests current immunization coverage falls short of optimal population thresholds. These results emphasize the necessity for focused preventive campaigns directed toward underserved and medically vulnerable communities.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
This investigation sought to quantify the prevalence of protective antibodies against hepatitis A and B viruses among American adults and identify demographic or clinical variables linked to these immune markers.
Study design
The research utilized a cross-sectional analytical framework applied to nationally representative health survey data collected over a six-year period.
Population and setting
Participants comprised adults aged twenty years and older residing in the United States, with stratified analyses extending to individuals managing chronic metabolic or renal conditions and those who were pregnant.
Main findings
Survey-weighted estimates indicated that roughly forty percent of the adult cohort possessed hepatitis A antibodies, while approximately twenty-seven percent demonstrated hepatitis B antibodies, predominantly through recent immunization. Protective marker frequencies correlated strongly with age, educational background, racial demographics, and birthplace. Clinical subgroups exhibiting elevated infection risk consistently displayed lower antibody prevalence rates compared to the general population.
Public-health relevance
Widespread susceptibility across multiple demographic and clinical strata suggests current immunization coverage falls short of optimal population thresholds. These results emphasize the necessity for focused preventive campaigns directed toward underserved and medically vulnerable communities.
Important limitations
The observational snapshot nature of the dataset prevents determination of causal pathways or longitudinal changes in immune status. Furthermore, this assessment depends entirely on the provided abstract and bibliographic details, necessitating full manuscript review for rigorous methodological appraisal.
GIDS interpretation
The article serves as a contemporary epidemiological reference for tracking national seroprevalence patterns of two major viral hepatitis pathogens. It offers contextual benchmarks for evaluating historical shifts in community-level immunological defense mechanisms.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 6 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.