Tattooing and hepatitis B infection.
To determine the prevalence of HBV carrier status in tattooed persons, 200 healthy, tattooed volunteers and 200 non-tattooed volunteers to match the first group for age, sex and ethnic group were screened. Prevalence of HBsAg in tattooed and non-tattooed volunteers was 19.5 and 9% respectively, which was a statistically significant difference (P less than 0.01). There was no difference in the prevalence in various age groups, ethnic groups, or sex, between the two groups.
Sebastian
V J
VJ
Department of Medicine, Suri Seri Begawan Hospital, Kuala Belait, Brunei Darussalam.
Ray
S
S
Bhattacharya
S
S
Maung
O T
OT
Saini
H A
HA
Jalani
H J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002010:Brunei / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013653:Tattooing / Q000009:adverse effects*
D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens