The Expression Pattern of Hepatitis B e Antigen and Antibody in Different Ethnic and Clinical Groups of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Carriers

• Published in: Journal of Infectious Diseases
• Main Authors: Aldershvile, J., Skinhøj, P., Frösner, G. G., Black, F., Deinhardt, F., Hardt, F., Nielsen, J. O.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 1980
• Subjects: Infectious Diseases; eskimo*
• Online Access: http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/142/1/18; https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/142.1.18

The presence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and its antibody (anti-HBe) was studied in 249 asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) of different ethnic origin and clinical course. Among male homosexuals, renal transplant recipients, and hemodialysis patients, >90% were HBeAg-positive. In contrast, anti-HBe was present in >85% of HBsAg-positive Danish pregnant women and blood donors. In presumably immunologically intact persons, significantly elevated levels of transaminases were found in the HBeAg-positive group as compared with the anti-HBe group ( P < 0.0001). Among persons with Down's syndrome, males showed a tendency toward clearing of HBeAg and development of anti-HBe as compared with females. In Eskimos a correlation was found between presence of hepatitis B e markers, age of the HBsAg carrier, and geographic origin of the carrier. A similar age relationship was found in Vietnamese refugees. It is proposed that in the general population a correlation may exist between the prevalence of HBsAg carriers and the percentage of HBeAg-positive HBsAg carriers.