Hepatitis B virus markers in male Saudi blood donors

Hepatitis B surface antigen was determined by radiommunoassay in 2487 male Saudi and 7587 Western expatriate volunteer blood donors. The HB[s]Ag positivity rate was 8.5% in male Saudi and 0.7% in Western expatriale blood donors. This study was further extended to test other hepatitis B virus [HBV] markers and alanine aminotransferase [ALT] in 200 consecutive Saudi male blood donors' sera. A positivity rate for HB[s]Ag was 8.5%, anti-Hbs wasas 35.5%, anti-HB[c] [alone] was 1.5%, HB[e]Ag was 1.0%, and anti-HBe was 2.5%. A suggested nonspecific screening test for ALT enzyme with levels of >/= 45 IU/L [normal 6-36 IU/L] for non-A, non-B hepatitis carrier state was performed on the 200 male Saudi blood donor sera, using Dupont ACA III methodology. The result showed an elrvation of enzyme in 2.5% of Saudi donors. If a blood donor with any HBV marker were excluded then only 1.5% showed ALT enzyme elevation, considerably lower than the reported 3.6% in the U.S. blood donor population. The positivity rates of 8.5% for HB[s]Ag, 35.5% for anti-HB[s] and 49% for any HBV serological markers in male Saudi blood donors are significantly higher than in American volunteer blood donors

Hepatitis B serological markers in a Saudi Arabian patient population and their implications for health care workers

The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence rate of hepatitis B in the patient population and the risk of contracting hepatitis B by health care workers in this comprehensive care hospital. The sera of 500 consecutive admissions were tested hepatitis B serological markers using sensitive radioimmunoassay methods. The significant positive results show: hepatitis B 'surface' antigen [HB[s]Ag], 8.8%; antiHB[c] ['core' alone], 3.4%; and, anti-HB[s] 46.6%. There was at last one positive hepatitis B virus marker in 56.6% of those tested. The presence of HB'eAg, suggesting high infectivity, was detected in 9% of HBsAg positive sera. An 8.8% HB[s]Ag and 3.4% anti-HB[c] [alone] diction rate gives a total of 12.2% of patients who potentially may transmit hepatitis B to health care workers at this hospital. This is significantly higher than the 0.3 to 2% reported from U.S general metropolitan hospital. The presence of a hepatitis B markers inn 56.6% of the patient population places health care workers of this hospital at considerable risk of contracting hepatitis B, compared to that in North American hospital