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An autopsy survey of hepatitis B in Sydney
1Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
Aim:
1) To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B in Sydney autopsies and 2) to determine the relationship between seroprevalence, hepatitis B risk factors and histological changes in the liver.
Methods:
One hundred autopsy subjects were studied for evidence of past or present hepatitis B infection, using RIA to detect the HBV antigens and antibodies in the serum and peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique to detect HBsAg and HBcAg in the liver. Both serum and liver were examined for the presence of HBV DNA.
Results:
Markers of hepatitis B virus infection were detected in either serum and/or liver of 29 subjects. Four subjects (4%) were seropositive for HBsAg. Eight subjects had been recently infected, 7 were chronically infected and 14 had recovered.
Conclusion:
The 29% prevalence of HBV infection is higher than expected. In four cases the serum was either free of HBV markers or showed conventional evidence of recovery, yet the liver still contained HBsAg. There were few histopathological changes despite the presence of HBsAg in the liver. The only epidemiological factors possibly predisposing to HBV infection were tattooing and drug abuse.