title: [Distribution of HBs-(Australia) antigen in progressive systemic scleroderma and other connective tissue disorders].
abstract: Of 173 patients, mostly suffering from collagen diseases and rheumatoid disease, the HBs antigen (HBsAg) was present in 1.73%. This figure is no higher than that observed among blood donors from the same area (Naples and surroundings). One HBsAg positive patient suffered from chronic active hepatitis and rheumatoid arthritis; another from chronic active hepatitis and a secondary type of reticuloendotheliosis; the third was one of seven patients with psoriatic arthritis. HBsAg was not found in any of 48 patients with other collagen diseases, including 22 patients with Progressive Systemic Sclerosis. These data do not support the hypothesis based on observations of polyarteritis nodosa that HBsAg plays an ethiopathogenetic role in collagen diseases with serious vasculitis.
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000382:microbiology; D003095:Collagen Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
vernacular_title: Untersuchungen über die Verbreitung des HBs-(Australia-) Antigens bei progredienter generalisierter Sklerodermie und anderen Konnektivitiden