title: Hepatitis B as a sexually transmitted disease in a black South African population.
abstract: This study compares the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis B antibody (anti-HBs) statuses of 1 032 Black patients with syphilis (338 male and 694 female) with those of 3 021 (758 male and 2 263 female--anti-HBs) and 8 310 (3 257 male and 5 053 female--HBsAg) unpaid blood donors with a negative syphilis test result who were of similar ethnic origin. The results for the groups of males showed no statistically significant differences even when the HBsAg and anti-HBs results were summed to provide an index of previous hepatitis B infection. In contrast, the group of females with syphilis had a significantly higher incidence of both markers compared with the blood donors (HBsAg in 7,20% v. 3,46% of controls and anti-HBs in 50,14% v. 41,05%). These findings would seem to support the view that hepatitis B viral infection may be more easily transmitted from males to females during sexual contact than vice versa.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000635:transmission*; D013587:Syphilis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens