Hepatitis-associated antigen in patients with liver diseases and in rural population of Iran. Increased incidence in men.

Using the counter-immunoelectrophoresis technique, the presence of HBsAg was determined in sear of 227 cirrhotics, 132 patients with acute hepatitis, and 254 apparently normal villagers and 220 hospital personnel in Southern Iran. Findings show a very high frequency of antigenemia in cirrhotics as compared to the apparently normal population. Of interest was the male predominance of antigenemia both in cirrhotics (50% vs. 27%) and normals (2.1+ vs. 0.4%) but not in patients with acute hepatitis (42.6% vs. 32.8%). This data suggests the importance of HB antigenemia in the pathogenesis of postnecrotic cirrhosis in Iran, and the importance of male predisposition for the development of the carrier state in either healthy or cirrhotic individuals.