Distribution of serum Australia antigen (HBs) in a group of Apulian blood donors according to sex and age
De Stasio, G.; D' Erasmo, F.; Lancieri, M.; Balice, G.; Amati, A.
Bollettino dell'Istituto Sieroterapico Milanese 55(71): 53-58
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-2547 PMID: 1021153 Document Number: 100748
3183 sera from healthy adults, volunteer blood donors (18-65-year aged) have been tested by a commercial ria (ausria II Abbott), for detection of HBsAg. The frequency of Australia antigen wsa found to be 5.2% (168/3183) in all sera, 6.3% in male and 3.5% in female donors, with differences statistically significant (p less than 0.01). In male donors, the prevalence was highest in the first half of the life (18-40 years)(7.0%) than in the second half (41-65 years) (3.7%), and the difference was also statistiically significant (p less than 0.05). In female donors the HBs Ag frequency was 4.2% and 2.2% repectively for the first and the second half of the life, but the difference was not statistically significant. Possible epidemiological significances were discussed.