Seroprevalence of hepatitis B viral markers in 52,000 Alaska Natives.
As a part of a program to screen and immunize as many Alaska Natives as possible against hepatitis B infection, hepatitis B virus seromarkers were measured in 52,022 Alaska Natives between 1983 and 1987. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was found in 1,603 persons (3.1%), and 7,155 persons (13.8%) exhibited hepatitis B virus seropositivity. While the prevalence of total seropositivity increased with increasing age (p < 0.001), the proportion of seropositive persons who were also positive for HBsAg was significantly higher in children under age 5 years than in persons over age 60 (p < 0.001). The total hepatitis B virus seropositivity was significantly higher in males than in females (p < 0.001), and a greater proportion of seropositive males than seropositive females had HBsAg (p < 0.001). The prevalence of HBsAg and total seropositivity differed significantly by geographic region (p < 0.001), ranging from 0.5% to 8.2% for presence of HBsAg and from 5.4% to 29% for total seropositivity. Of persons who were HBsAg positive, hepatitis B e antigen was found in 35.4%, and antibody to hepatitis e antigen was found in 49.6%. The prevalence of hepatitis B e antigen significantly decreased with age, while that of antibody to hepatitis e antigen significantly increased. The prevalence of hepatitis B virus seropositivity is high in Alaska Natives, and there are significant differences in both the prevalence of HBsAg and total hepatitis B virus seromarkers by age, sex, and geographic region.
McMahon
B J
BJ
Alaska Native Medical Center, Indian Health Service, Anchorage 99501.
Schoenberg
S
S
Bulkow
L
L
Wainwright
R B
RB
Fitzgerald
M A
MA
Parkinson
A J
AJ
Coker
E
E
Ritter
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D007223:Infant; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens