Prevalence of hepatitis B "e" antigen and its antibody in various HBsAg carrier populations.

A total of 749 persistent carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were tested for hepatitis B e antigen/antibody to e antigen (HBeAg/anti-HBe) by a radioimmunoassay method. The prevalence of HBeAg was found to be: 9.1% in carrier-blood donors, 10.3% in mentally retarded patients without Down's syndrome, 23.6% in Chinese-Americans, 35.3% in drug addicts, 39.2% in mentally retarded patients with Down's syndrome, 61.4% in homosexual men, and 71.2% in dialysis patients. The prevalence of HBeAg appears to be independent of sex, race, and HBsAg antigenic subtype. Younger carries tend to be more frequently HBeAg positive than older ones. All individuals acutely infected with hepatitis B virus become at least transiently positive for HBeAg. Appearance or clearance of HBsAg, HBeAg and their corresponding antibodies seem to be interrelated.