Change of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Patients with Hepatitis during a Five-Year Period

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Abstract
Between January 1970 and December 1974, 122 cases of acute type B hepatitis were subtyped; 66 (54%) were of the ad type and 56 (46%) of the ay type. "Cluster" cases (from a dialysis unit) were not considered. During the first period, subtype ad predominated, whereas in the second year there was a clear predominance of the ay subtype; the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.02). In yearly periods the differences were significant between the years 1970 and 1974 (P < 0.05), 1972 and 1974 (P < 0.05), and 1972 and 1973 (P < 0.05). If only patients without parenteral exposure are considered, there was clearly a shift between 1970-1972 and 1973-1974 in favor of the ay subtype (P < 0.01). Since epidemiological factors such as injections and transfusions seem not to be responsible, it is suggested that a change of virus strain may be responsible for the different distribution of subtypes of hepatitis B surface antigen in the last year.

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