Prevalence of hepatitis B e antigen and its antibody in various HBsAg carrier populations. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1981. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Prevalence of hepatitis B e antigen and its antibody in various HBsAg carrier populations.

Am J Epidemiol. 1981 Feb;113(2):113-21. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/81130778
Szmuness W; Neurath AR; Stevens CE; Strick N; Harley EJ

Abstract: A total of 749 persistent carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were tested for hepatitis B e antigen/antibody to e antigen (HBeAg/anti-HBe) by a radioimmunoassay method. The prevalence of HBeAg was found to be: 9.1% in carrier-blood donors, 10.3% in mentally retarded patients without Down's syndrome, 23.6% in Chinese-Americans, 35.3% in drug addicts, 39.2% in mentally retarded patients with Down's syndrome, 61.4% in homosexual men, and 71.2% in dialysis patients. The prevalence of HBeAg appears to be independent of sex, race, and HBsAg antigenic subtype. Younger carries tend to be more frequently HBeAg positive than older ones. All individuals acutely infected with hepatitis B virus become at least transiently positive for HBeAg. Appearance or clearance of HBsAg, HBeAg and their corresponding antibodies seem to be interrelated.
Keywords: Adult Antibodies, Viral/*ANALYSIS Asian Americans Blood Donors Carrier State/*IMMUNOLOGY Female Hemodialysis Hepatitis B e Antigens/*ANALYSIS Hepatitis B Antibodies/*ANALYSIS Hepatitis B Antigens/*ANALYSIS *Hepatitis B Surface Antigens Hepatitis B Virus/*IMMUNOLOGY Homosexuality Human Male Mental Retardation/BLOOD Middle Age Radioimmunoassay Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDadultantibodies,viral/KWDanalysisasianamericansblooddonorscarrierstate/KWDimmunologyfemalehemodialysishepatitisbeantigens/KWDanalysishepatitisbantibodies/KWDanalysishepatitisbantigens/KWDanalysisKWDhepatitisbsurfaceantigenshepatitisbvirus/KWDimmunologyhomosexualityhumanmalementalretardation/bloodmiddleageradioimmunoassaysupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,pKWDhKWDsKWDjournalarticle
810630
M8160006

Copyright © 1981 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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