Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B virus in rural Tanzania: relation of hepatitis B markers and liver function tests in patients with clinical liver disease and in healthy controls
Stahel, E.; Tanner, M.; Gyr, N.; Weiss, N.; Hess, C.; Betschart, B.
East African Medical Journal 61(11): 806-811
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 6535703 Document Number: 238595
In a prospective study on hepatic disorders in rural south-eastern Tanzania, 92 patients with different entities of liver disease and 200 apparently healthy controls were examined for the presence of hepatitis B markers (HBsAg [hepatitis-B surface antigen], anti-HBs [anti-hepatitis B surface antigen], anti-HBc [anti-hepatitis B core antigen]). HBsAg was found in 13/92 patients (14.1%) and in 15/200 controls (7.5%). In 10 of these 13 patients (76.9%) and in 2 of the 15 controls (13.3%) the presence of HBsAg was accompanied by disturbed liver function tests. Anti-HBs was present in 57 out of 92 patients (62.0%) and in 126 out of 200 controls (63.0%). In patients and controls, 3 persons in each group had both the anti-HBs and HBsAg. 34 out of 54 patients (63.0%) with anti-HBs showed abnormal liver function tests and 9 from 123 controls (7.3%). The presence of anti-HBc as the sole HBV marker was noted in 10 out of 92 patients (10.9%) and in 34 out of 200 controls (17%). The finding of a sole anti-HBc was related to abnormal liver function tests in 8 out of 10 patients (80.0%) and in 3 out of 34 controls (8.8%). The rate of infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) as judged by the presence of at least 1 marker was equal in patients and controls (83.7%) and (86.0%), respectively. Persons showing HBV markers suggesting ongoing virus replication (HBsAg and anti-HBc alone) and disturbed liver function tests accounted for 18 of the liver patients (19.6%) and for 5 of the controls (2.5%).