Serological pattern of hepatitis B virus markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs, IgM anti-HBc and HBV specific DNA polymerase) in leprosy patients.

Sera of 134 lepromatous (LL/BL) and 57 tuberculoid (TT/BT) leprosy patients were analysed for four HBV markers. HBsAg was detected in 6.71% of lepromatous and 3.5% of tuberculoid sera. The per cent positivity of lepromatous and tuberculoid sera for anti-HBs antibodies was 30.59% and 35.08%, respectively. The positivity of normal sera for HBsAg and anti-HBs was 3.60% and 21.69%, respectively. The difference in the positivity of three groups of sera (lepromatous, tuberculoid and normal) for HBsAg or anti-HBs was not statistically significant. Anti-HBc (IgM) antibodies were detected in 6% of lepromatous sera. HBV-specific DNA-polymerase activity was found in 22.22% of HBsAg positive (but anti-HBc negative) sera, and 66.66% of anti-HBc positive (but HBsAg negative) sera. The pattern of acute HBV infection in leprosy patients followed the typical pattern prevalent in the normal population.