[Prevalence of serological markers of the hepatitis B virus in the out-patient population of the city of Vigo].
OBJECTIVE
To discover the prevalence of serological markers of the Hepatitis B virus in the out-patient population of the city of Vigo.


METHODS
A year-long retrospective study (from January to December, 1990) of a total of 4,581 serums belonging to patients. These came to our laboratory from patients who attended the out-patient clinics of the Hospital Xeral in Vigo. The HBs Ag, anti-HBc and anti-HBc IgM (this last if the total anti-HBc showed positive) were then determined. SITE. Primary Care and Digestive Clinics of the Hospital Xeral of Vigo's Health Area. PATIENTS OUR OTHERS PARTICIPANTS: All pregnant women were excluded from the study. The rest were men and women between 18 and 69 who provided a total sample of 4,581 serums.


RESULTS
These findings were as follows: 954 serums had some positive marker, which presumes a prevalence of 20.8% with a Confidence Interval of +/- 0.79 (p < 0.05). Pattern 1 had 39 cases, which was 0.8% of the total number of serums studied. Pattern 2 had 141 cases (3.1%). Pattern 3 had 5 cases (0.1%). Pattern 4 had 769 cases (16.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
Pattern 4 was the most common (80.6%), followed by Pattern 2 (14.8%) and Pattern 1 (4.1%). The rarest was Pattern 3 with 0.5%. The percentage of positive markers was greater in men than in women: this was a statistically significant difference. Overall prevalence was 20.8%. In order to reduce the number of people infected by this important disease--one which carries extremely serious socio-economic repercussions--it would be in principle advisable to vaccinate all those in high-risk groups.
Resina Robert
A
A
Hospital Xeral de Vigo.
Fahim Zawati
Z
Z
Domínguez Grandal
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Prevalencia de marcadores serológicos del virus de la hepatitis B en población extrahospitalaria de la ciudad de Vigo.