title: Changing trends of hepatitis B seromarkers amongst Pakistani population: a laboratory-based review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changing trends of hepatitis B markers tested at Aga Khan University Hospital clinical laboratory according to the internationally recognised classification of hepatitis B profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  The retrospective study involved analysis of laboratory records of hepatitis B profiles of all patients collected from January 2001 to December 2008 at the Aga Khan University Hospital's clinical laboratory. Patients with complete profile tested were categorised according to the Centre for Diseases Control classification of hepatitis B profile. SPSS 16 was used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 185,825 patients had serological markers for hepatitis B tested. Mean-age of reactive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) patients was 30+/-12.5 years. HBsAg reactivity was significantly higher in males than females (34% vs 12%; p <0.0001). HBsAg showed a slight decline in the percentage reactivity during the 8-year study period, while a gradual increase in hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) reactivity was observed. Of the total, 23% patients belonged to the 'susceptible to infection' category; 39% patients were classified as 'chronically-ill'; 12% patients were categorised as 'immune due to hepatitis B vaccination. 3% patients were classed as 'acutely infected'. Overall, samples received from Peshawar, Quetta and Larkana showed very high reactivity rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study substantiated the general perception that levels of HBsAg is showing a decreasing trend, while levels of HBsAb are increasing perhaps due to better vaccination of population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. afia.zafar@aku.edu
authors.forename: Afia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zafar
authors.forename: Erum
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Muhammad Shoaib
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moiz
authors.forename: Wasim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jafri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens