Hepatitis B antigen in a leprosy hospital.

A survey of hospital patients with lepromatous and with tuberculoid leprosy showed 5% of the former and 6.3% of the latter to be carriers of hepatitis B antigen. These findings contradict the hypothesis of a genetically determined predisposition; opportunity for infection appears rather to be the determining factor. It was also found that (1) the number of carriers was higher among patients staying longer in hospital; (2) titres of antigen in patients with lepromatous leprosy were higher than in those with tuberculoid leprosy or in controls; and (3) antigen titres measured twice at an interval of 4 months indicated that the carrying of hepatitis B antigen in patients with leprosy is stable and persistent.