THE e ANTIGEN AND VERTICAL TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGEN
Authors:
- 1 February 1977
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in American Journal of Epidemiology
- Vol. 105 (2) , 94-98
Abstract
The relationship of e antigen (eAg) and its antibody (anti-e) to vertical transmission of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from chronic asymptomatic HBsAg carrier women to their children was investigated in Taiwan. Sera from 20 of the 62 women studied were positive for eAg (32%); serum from only one woman was positive for anti-e (2%). A total of 85% of the babies born to eAg positive mothers became HB5Ag carriers, while only 31% of the babies became carriers when the mother was eAg negative. Maternal a antigenemia correlated with a high HB5Ag titer, and both parameters were equally good predictors of vertical transmission.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Relation of e Antigen to Hepatitis B Vims Infection in an Area of HyperendemicityThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1976