Hepatitis B e Antigen in Volunteer and Paid Blood Donors

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Abstract
Sera from 200 volunteer blood donors and 200 paid blood donors, all positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), were tested for the presence of HBeAg. HBeAg was detected in 31 HBsAg-positive paid donors (15%), and in 11 HbsAg-positive volunteer donors (5%) by agar gel diffusion. The presence of HBeAg was associated with higher titers of HBsAg. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) in the two donor groups. Rheumatoid factor was not associated with the presence or absence of HBeAg or anti-HBe. HBeAg is probably not an anti-Ig[immunoglobulin]G. Paid blood donors appear more likely than volunteer donors to transmit hepatitis B virus infection to recipients of their blood.