Patterns of familial transmission of HBV and the risk of developing liver cancer: a case-control study in the Philippines.

The present case-control study was carried out in the Philippines to determine the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in relation to different HBV serological profiles of parents and sibs of HCC cases and controls. The HBV serological profiles of parents and sibs of 33 patients with HCC were compared with those of 2 types of community control: 33 general population controls matched for sex and age (C1 controls) and 33 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers also matched for sex and age (C2 controls). When cases were compared with C1 controls, increased risks were associated with the fact of having an HBsAg-positive mother (RR = 2.

Mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus in the Philippines.

A follow-up study of mother to infant transmission of hepatitis B virus was conducted in the Philippines between 1981 and 1983. The prevalence of HBsAg among 527 mothers was 8.5%.

The relationship of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis to hepatitis B virus infection in the Philippines.

The relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and cirrhosis (CIR) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated. 340 cases with HCC and 99 cases with CIR were compared with the control group which were asymoptomatic age- and sex-matched case. Both HCC and CIR have higher infection rated of HBV and the positivity rated of HBsAg than their controls in both sexes.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of a simple micromethod for hepatitis B screening in hepatitis B virus control programmes.

We developed a simple micromethod for identifying mothers who are most likely to transmit hepatitis B infection to their infants, using reverse passive haemagglutination for detecting HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) in capillary blood. This screening method was evaluated against other strategies for hepatitis B control by means of decision- and cost-effectiveness analyses. The micromethod was shown to be cost-effective when the cost of hepatitis B vaccine was high.

Sero-epidemiological study on hepatitis A and B virus infection among dentists in the Philippines.

Dentists in the Philippines were surveyed for evidence of past hepatitis A and B virus infections. Of the 234 dentists examined, 201 (85.9 per cent) were found to have been infected by HA virus and 137 (58.

Incidence and prevalence of hepatitis B. A community-based survey in the Philippines.

In a rural village in the Philippines, sera were collected from 744 residents and tested for evidence of hepatitis B virus infection. In the subsequent year, every household was visited every other week for a period of three months in an attempt to identify clinically apparent cases. At the end of the year, sera were obtained from 78% of persons initially negative for hepatitis B virus and 97% of those initially positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B virus in the Philippines.

Hepatitis B virus markers were studied in 2,842 Philippine rural subjects from four villages in 1979-1982. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and all markers for hepatitis B virus averaged 12% and 58%, respectively, in these rural populations. It is estimated that five million Filipinos are HBsAg positive.

Structural analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen by monoclonal antibodies.

A method has been developed for the analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) antigenic structure at the molecular level that creates "fingerprints" or "signatures" of various hepatitis B viral (HBV) strains. This technique employs high affinity IgM and IgG monoclonal antibodies (anti-HBs) directed against distinct and separate determinants on HBsAg. In performing this antigenic structural analysis, separate binding curves for different monoclonal anti-HBs are generated by measuring immunoreactivity in serial dilutions of HBsAg-positive serum by radioimmunoassay.

HBV exposure and HBsAg positivity rates in schistosomiasis japonica: study in a Philippine community endemic for both infections.

HBV exposure and HBsAg positivity rate were examined in 561 residents of an area endemic for S. japonicum and 22 additional cases with severe HSS japonica were also included. The differences in HBV exposure and HBsAg positivity rates among the groups without the parasitism, with schistosomiasis japonica and with HSS (53 cases) were not statistically significant.

Hepatitis B virus profile of hepatocellular carcinoma in the Philippines.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) profile was investigated in 104 age-grouped hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and 84 controls from the Philippines. The HCC-control percent positivities of the HBV parameters are: HBsAg: 70-18; anti-HBs: 25-37; anti-HBs: 25-37; anti-HBc: 94-35; HBeAg: 5-2; anti-HBe: 60-30; HBV exposure rate: 97-57; current infection: 80-31. Male HCC anti-HBs positivity is significantly lower than in controls.