Incidence of hepatitis B virus infection among an Italian military population: evidence of low infection spread.
In 1990, a prospective serological survey to estimate the rate of clinical and inapparent infection with hepatitis B virus was performed in a cohort of 1324 soldiers, 18-24 years old, during an eight-month period in Italy. At the time of enrollment the prevalence of hepatitis B markers was 4.6% (0.7% subjects positive for hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg], 3.0% positive for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen [anti-HBs], and 0.9% positive for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen [anti-HBc] alone. Among the 1263 susceptible subjects who were followed-up, only 2 (0.24/100 person-years of exposure) had seroconversion for HBV markers, none of which was associated with clinical illness. Among the 9 subjects HBsAg-positive at the time of enrollment, 1 (11.2%) had lost HBsAg at the end of follow-up. These data show a low spread of HBV infection among Italian young generations.
D'Amelio
R
R
Laboratorio di Immunologia, Aeronautica Militare, Rome, Italy.
Stroffolini
T
T
Nisini
R
R
Matricardi
P M
PM
Rapicetta
M
M
Spada
E
E
Napoli
A
A
Pasquini
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D015415:Biomarkers; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens