title: Chronic hepatitis B antigenaemia in bilharzial patients treated with Praziquantel.
abstract: One hundred and fifty two bilharzial patients together with one hundred and eighty four individuals as free controls were tested for HBsAg using ELISA technique. 6.6% of the former were carriers compared to only 2.2% in the later. It was found that past history of antibilharzial therapy, jaundice and presence of hepatosplenomegaly increased the risk of contracting HB virus infection. Praziquantel therapy showed 60% parasitological cure rate and 90 reduction in the mean egg count of bilharzial carriers of HBV infection. It improved both simple and early hepato-intestinal schistosomiasis as 5 out of 10 HBV carriers became free either from schistosoma ova or HBsAg after 6 months of treatment. In this work all chronic bilharzial carriers (5) had hepatosplenomegaly, 1 patient showed parasitological cure after treatment and the other four patients had a reduction in the mean egg count denoting the failure of praziquantel in improving their immunologic status and thus still HBsAg carriers.
authors: Tropical Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kotkat
authors: S
authors: S
authors: el-Masry
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Abdel-al Mahmoud
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000009:adverse effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011223:Praziquantel