[Hepatitis B antigen (HBSAG) in hospitalized children].
Blood samples of 1940 hospitalized children aged 0--18 years were investigated for presence of HBs-Ag by counter-electrophoresis, haemagglutination and radioimmunoassay, HBs-Ag was found in 1.34% of all patients, being distributed evenly amongst boys and girls. The incidence was 1.7% in patients from a large University children's hospital and 0.6% in patients from a group of regional hospitals. Of 26 samples positive by radioimmunoassay, 1 only was found positive by insensitive counter-electrophoresis. In addition to diseases known to be correlated with HBs-antigenaemia in adults, there was an accumulation of inborn deformities as well as perinatal and neurologic disorders in HBs-Ag positive children. Vertical transmission of hepatitis-B virus from pregnant or nursing mothers to their children could not be found. The incidence of HBs-antigenaemia increases little with age, thus infection in early childhood appears probable at least in a part of the cases.
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003378:Counterimmunoelectrophoresis; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013557:Switzerland
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Hepatitis-B-antigen (HBs-AG) bei hospitalisierten kindern.