DIFFERENCE IN DISTRIBUTION OF E-ANTIGEN AMONG DIFFERENT ETHNIC-GROUPS IN POPULATION OF BLOOD-DONORS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 116  (7) , 757-759
Abstract
Sensitive techniques were used to detect e antigen and the corresponding antibody (anti-e) among 368 voluntary blood donors positive for hepatitis B surface antigen in the Montreal [Canada] area and 310 people living in close contact with them. Neither e nor anti-e was found in the absence of markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Among the blood donors e antigen was detected in 23 and anti-e in 313, and 32 were negative for both markers. Of the 368 blood donors 330 were of French origin and 38 from other ethnic groups. The 23 e-positive subjects were unequally distributed among the ethnic groups: only 14 (4.2%) were recruited among the French group while 9 (23.7%) were recruited among other ethnic groups (P < 0.001). This difference among ethnic groups might be related to the vertical or horizontal mode of dissemination of HBV infection.