title: Prevalence of HBeAg, anti-HBe serological markers and HBV-DNA in asymptomatic carriers in Ethiopia.
abstract: Data on the distribution of HBV-DNA and other serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection in a population of asymptomatic carriers in Ethiopia are reported. As compared to data from other countries of similar or lower levels of endemicity, it has been found that HBV-DNA prevalence and its correlation with HBeAg/anti-HBe status is similar to that of northern Europe. HBV-DNA is present in 84% of HBe Ag-positive sera but in only 4% of anti-HBe-positive sera, where the lowest concentration of DNA (less than 5 pgr/20 microliters) was found. The trend of increasing prevalence of serological markers with age seems to indicate a considerable horizontal transmission still present in this age range (18-30). In keeping with data of other authors a 3% of HBV-DNA positivity in anti HBc only positive sera was found. No regional or ethnical differences of HBV-DNA positive sera across the country were observed. There is also no evidence of any correlation between HBV-DNA prevalence and HBsAg subtypes ad and ay.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Virologia, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rapicetta
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hailù
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morace
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bisanti
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Di Rienzo
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ciccaglione
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bekura
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pasquini
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001208:Asia; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002353:Carrier State / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D015995:Prevalence; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens