A survey of hospital patients with lepromatous and with tuberculoid leprosy showed 5% of the former and 6.3% of the latter to be carriers of hepatitis B antigen. These findings contradict the hypothesis of a genetically determined predisposition; opportunity for infection appears rather to be the determining factor. It was also found that (1) the number of carriers was higher among patients staying longer in hospital; (2) titres of antigen in patients with lepromatous leprosy were higher than in those with tuberculoid leprosy or in controls; and (3) antigen titres measured twice at an interval of 4 months indicated that the carrying of hepatitis B antigen in patients with leprosy is stable and persistent.
BT - Bulletin of the World Health Organization C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4204489?dopt=Abstract DA - 1973 May IS - 5 J2 - Bull. World Health Organ. LA - eng N2 -A survey of hospital patients with lepromatous and with tuberculoid leprosy showed 5% of the former and 6.3% of the latter to be carriers of hepatitis B antigen. These findings contradict the hypothesis of a genetically determined predisposition; opportunity for infection appears rather to be the determining factor. It was also found that (1) the number of carriers was higher among patients staying longer in hospital; (2) titres of antigen in patients with lepromatous leprosy were higher than in those with tuberculoid leprosy or in controls; and (3) antigen titres measured twice at an interval of 4 months indicated that the carrying of hepatitis B antigen in patients with leprosy is stable and persistent.
PY - 1973 SP - 555 EP - 8 T2 - Bulletin of the World Health Organization TI - Hepatitis B antigen in a leprosy hospital. UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2482943/pdf/bullwho00178-0044.pdf VL - 48 SN - 0042-9686 ER -