Frequency of HBsAg positivity: a laboratory data analysis

ABSTRACT

The objective of the study was to evaluate the current frequency ratio of HBsAg seropositivity in a laboratory-based setting. It was a retrospective study, conducted during September 2009 and November 2010 at Dr. Essa's Diagnostic Laboratory and its branches in Karachi, Pakistan. Blood samples of 8,648 individuals were screened for HBsAg using the BioRad EVOLIS EIA method. Pertinent questionnaires filled in by 50 practicing physicians were also evaluated. The 551 subjects [6.4%] that tested positive for HBsAg included 360 males [65.3%] and 191 females [34.6%]. The highest frequency of HBsAg was noted in those aged 16-29 years [43.9%]. HBsAg rate in the studied population has steadily increased and is more common in the sexually active age group, with males tending to be more often seropositive than females