title: Hepatitis B virus infection and liver disease in Ethiopian immigrants to Israel.
abstract: We assessed infection with hepatitis B virus in 357 Ethiopians who immigrated to Israel. Hepatitis B virus infection, as measured by the presence in the serum of HBsAg, anti-HBs, or anti-HBc, started at an early age (35% at the age of 1 to 4 years) and reached an overall rate of 98% in individuals over 40 years old. A high rate of HBsAg antigenemia in the young age group (19% at the age of 1 to 8 years) was associated with HBeAg and serum hepatitis B virus DNA. However, hepatitis B virus DNA was rarely detected in HBsAg-positive serum of older individuals who were anti-HBe-positive. No hepatitis B virus DNA sequences were detected in the serum of individuals who had anti-HBs. Despite the extremely high rate of hepatitis B virus infection that occurred at an early age, no clinical evidence of chronic liver disease in this population was detected.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel; D007585:Jews; D012737:Sex Factors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins