Prevalences of hepatitis B surface antigen carriers and liver damages in the general population of Hisayama, Japan.

: The prevalences of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers and liver damages were studied in 2,411 residents aged 40 and over and living in Hisayama, Japan in 1983. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) associated markers were all measured by radioimmunoassay. HBsAg carriers were found in 2.3 per cent of the residents. Hepatitis B e antigen and antibody to hepatitis B e antigen were positive in 8.9 per cent and 80.4 per cent, respectively, of HBsAg carriers. The prevalences of liver damages in HBsAg carriers were compared with 1095 who had none of HBV markers (neither anti-HBc nor anti-HBs). The prevalences of abnormal aminotransferase level in sera were not different between HBsAg carriers and those who had none of HBV markers. A history of jaundice and/or hepatitis was evident in 32.3 per cent of male carriers and 24.0 per cent of female ones, being significantly more than those without HBV markers (13.1 per cent and 5.8 per cent, p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.005, respectively). These results indicate that, among HBsAg carriers aged 40 and over, few have active clinical signs of hepatitis, although about 20 per cent of them have histories of symptomatic hepatitis due to hepatitis B.