01355nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653001100089653002500100653003300125653001100158653001200169653000900181653001600190100001100206700001700217700001700234700001300251245004200264300001200306490000700318520072600325022001401051       1977                            d  c1977 Dec10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aFemale10aHepatitis B Antigens10aHepatitis B Surface Antigens10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged1 aNuti M1 aTarabini G C1 aTarabini G C1 aThamer G00a[The "e" antigen (HBeAg) in leprosy].  a393-4030 v133 a<p>Sixty-six sera from leprosy patients, 42 with lepromatous leprosy (l.l.) and 24 with tuberculoid leprosy (t.l.) were examinated for the presence of e-antigen and e-antibody by immunodiffusion. The test for e-antigen was negative in all leprosy patients; e-antibodies were found in only three patients (4.5%) with l.l., all carriers of hepatitis B antigen. The HBsAg test was positive in 23.8% of the l.l. cases and in 12.5% of the t.l. cases; the anti-HBs was present in 38.1% of the l.l. cases and in 41.6% of the t.l. cases. The results suggest the possibility that the leprosy patients positive for the surface B antigen represent a very low risk and can be considered as chronic asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg.</p>  a0033-4979