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Prevalence of hepatitis B and C and HIV antibodies in children in a Romanian orphanage
Author(s) -
HAUKENES G.,
BRINCHMANNHANSEN K.,
MACOVEI O.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1992.tb03996.x
Subject(s) - hbsag , medicine , virology , antibody , hbeag , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis , virus , immunology , hepatitis b , hepatitis c virus , viral disease
Two hundred and fifteen children in an orphanage in Romania were examined for serum markers of present or past hepatitis B and C virus and HIV infection. In total, 183 children (85.1%) had at least one marker (HBsAg, anti‐HBs or anti‐HBc) of hepatitis B virus infection. An HBsAg carrier state was diagnosed in 38 (20.8%) of the infected children. Among the carriers 24.3% were HBeAg carriers, 51.4% had anti‐HBe and 24.3% had neither HBe antigen nor antibody. Nine children (4.2%) had antibodies to hepatitis C virus. All sera were negative in tests for HIV antibodies. False‐positive reactions represented a considerable problem with these sera. Six percent of the sera gave false‐positive reactions in indirect ELISA tests for hepatitis C and HIV. Sera giving false‐positive reactions had rather high serum IgG levels. The results of this study indicate that these children have been heavily exposed to hepatitis B virus and to a certain degree to hepatitis C virus, while there were no cases of HIV infection in this orphanage.