[Hepatitis B antigen in patients undergoing gastroscopy (author's transl)]

497 patients undergoing gastroscopy were tested for RIA for HBs antigen, HBs antibody and HBc antibody. In 21.9% of these patients (women 19.6%, men 23.3%) one of these tests was positive. The high frequency of positive HBc antibody is remarkable. 7% of our patients (women 7.8%, men 6.3%) were HBs antigen positive and, therefore, a source of infection for doctors and nurses of an endoscopic unit. The results are comparable with studies from other units reported in the literature.