title: Hepatitis B surface antigen, e antigen and HBV DNA in healthy antenatal patients attending Goroka Hospital and their relationship to tattooing practices.
abstract: The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in women attending the antenatal clinic at Goroka Hospital was 14%. 32% of those positive for HBsAg also had hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), indicative of an infectious state. The mean HBV DNA level in HBeAg-positive women was 1800 pg/ml. These results suggest that vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus may be of importance in Papua New Guinea. Tattooing is common in this population: 91% of women in the study had tattoos. Methods employed in tattooing are a potential health risk but in a community which is now exposed to hepatitis B virus early in life tattooing practices are not important in the transmission of hepatitis B infection.
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spooner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richens
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D010219:Papua New Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013653:Tattooing
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens