title: Hepatitis B antigen subtypes in asymptomatic carriers in the Solomon Islands.
abstract: Three hundred and fifty-three students attending King George VI School in Honiara, British Solomon Islands Protectorate, were tested by immunodiffusion for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBS Ag). The prevalence of HB Ag was 13% and the antigen was found more frequently in males. Twenty-seven samples which contained high titers of antigen were subtyped to define those subtype combinations present in the BSIP. The most frequent antigen was adr+yw-. This combination is also common in Thailand and Japan. The second most prevalent combination was ayw+dr-. The antigenic determinants also occurred less frequently as adw+yr-, adwr+y-, and awr+dy-. These unusual samples which contain both w and r may be the result of mixed particles, recombination of virus, mixing of viral proteins in doubly infected cells or extracellular aggregation of mixed viral products.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008542:Melanesia; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes