Immune responses to hepatitis B virus and tuberculosis infections in Southeast Asian refugees.

Both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and hepatitis B virus infections are common in the Philadelphia Southeast Asian refugee population. Among 224 hepatitis B carriers identified between January 1, 1982 and March 31, 1984, there was a statistically significant association between a negative tuberculin skin test (purified protein derivative (PPD)) and viral replication (hepatitis B e antigen positivity (HBeAg)). This finding suggests that bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccination might reduce the prevalence of infectious carriers, thereby ultimately reducing the incidence of hepatitis B infection.