title: Susceptibility to persistence of Australia antigen.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that liver function is different in populations with inherited susceptibility to persistent Australia antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg]), Sardinians living in Turin, Italy, were compared with their native Turinese neighbors. The study was controlled for age, sex, place of birth, and presence or absence of persistent HBsAg. Slight differences in liver function were found in the Sardinians compared with the Turinese. Their values were in the direction of abnormality. Sardinians also had considerably higher serum gamma-globulin levels than the Turinese. The levels of alpha2-globulin by electrophoresis correlated with the presence of HBsAg.
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000208:ethnology; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000097:blood; D013943:Thymol; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000510:Alpha-Globulins; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D012709:Serum Albumin; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D013943:Thymol; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin