title: Seroepidemiology of rubella infection in Chinese and Caucasians in Hong Kong.
abstract: The seroepidemiology of rubella infection in Hong Kong Chinese was examined by haemagglutination inhibition of normal sera and a comparison made where feasible with Caucasians living in Hong Kong. Taking reciprocal titre of 20 as a baseline, the incidence of maternally acquired antibody was 84% for Chinese and 90% for Caucasians. In babies up to 2 months this incidence was maintained in Caucasians but declined to 54% in Chinese. High titre antibody was more frequently detected in Caucasians generally, including women of child-bearing age. The detection of rubella-specific IgM in the Caucasian babies was suggestive of recent maternal infection. However, fewer Caucasian (20%) than Chinese (36%) women of child-bearing age (15-40 years) appeared unprotected against rubella. When all age groups were considered, 88% of Caucasians and 53% of Chinese were seropositive. The occurrence of a rubella outbreak during the study did not give rise to a significant increase in the incidence of seropositivity in Chinese 19-25 years, the only age group able to be evaluated in this manner. The ethnic differences in seroepidemiology are considered in the light of known HLA-1 and HLA-8 antigen distributions in Caucasian and Mongoloid people and the apparently low incidence of congenitally acquired rubella in Chinese.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D012409:Rubella / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000276:immunology; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012411:Rubella Vaccine