Hepatitis B Antigen and Antibody in Blood Donors: An Epidemiologic Study

Abstract

Routine screening by immunoelectroosmophoresis has revealed that 1.5 volunteer blood donors per 1,000 from the New York metropolitan area are carriers of the hepatitis B antigen (HB Ag). Almost all (94%) of the donors with HB Ag appear to be chronic carriers. A significant excess of HB Ag carriers was observed among males, among donors aged 20–29 years, and among blacks. Jews were found to be carriers of HB Ag far less frequently than other whites. Only 3% of HB Ag carriers gave a past history of overt viral hepatitis. The prevalence of antibody to HB Ag (HB Ab) was found to be three times as high among paid blood donors in comparison to volunteer donors (20% vs. 6.7%). In both volunteer and paid donors the prevalence of HB Ab was significantly higher among blacks than among nonblacks. No differences in the prevalence of HB Ab were observed between males and females, or between Jews and other whites. The prevalence of HB Ab in contrast to that of HB Ag was found to increase with advancing age.