Evaluation of methods of pre-vaccination screening for markers of hepatitis B infection

Eur J Epidemiol. 1985 Jun;1(2):100-3. doi: 10.1007/BF00141800.

Abstract

The prevalence of serologic evidence of hepatitis B virus infection in various populations in Greece was examined to provide data for formulating cost-effective strategies for prevaccination screening. Markers were detected in 17.5% of 320 healthy persons, 73.3% of 273 multiply transfused patients and 61.0% of 146 haemodialysis patients. In multiply transfused patients, antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) was significantly more common than antibody to core antigen (anti-HBc) (67.0%, 44.3%), while the opposite was true for haemodialysis patients (43.8%, 57.5%). These data suggest that it may be most cost-effective to screen only for anti-HBs in multiply transfused patients and only anti-HBc in haemodialysis patients. Vaccination without screening may be more cost-effective for healthy persons. Anti-HBs and anti-HBc were detected with similar frequencies (14.7%, 15.9%), thus neither offers an advantage in screening healthy persons, although use of anti-HBc may facilitate detection of chronic carriers. These data indicate that the choice of marker for pre-vaccination screening should depend on the population under consideration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Blood Transfusion
  • Carrier State / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Greece
  • Hepatitis B / epidemiology*
  • Hepatitis B / immunology
  • Hepatitis B / prevention & control
  • Hepatitis B Antibodies / analysis*
  • Hepatitis B Core Antigens / immunology
  • Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / analysis
  • Hepatitis B Vaccines
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Renal Dialysis
  • Vaccination*
  • Viral Hepatitis Vaccines*

Substances

  • Hepatitis B Antibodies
  • Hepatitis B Core Antigens
  • Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
  • Hepatitis B Vaccines
  • Viral Hepatitis Vaccines