Hepatitis B virus markers in male Saudi blood donors

ABSTRACT

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