Skip to main content
PMC home page
The British Journal of Venereal Diseases logoLink to The British Journal of Venereal Diseases
. 1979 Oct;55(5):366–368. doi: 10.1136/sti.55.5.366

Sexual transmission of hepatitis B surface antigen. Infection of husbands by HBsAg carrier-state wives.

N Inaba, R Ohkawa, A Matsuura, J Kudoh, H Takamizawa
PMCID: PMC1045683  PMID: 509191

Abstract

The husbands of 68 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier-state wives were tested for the presence of hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) and antigen (HBsAg) to assess possible transmission of HBsAg. Eight (11.8%) of the 68 husbands gave negative results for HBsAg and 22 (32.4%) positive results for HBsAb. Furthermore, eight (26.7%) of 30 husbands with presumed HBsAg transmission from their wives developed acute viral hepatitis after marriage, and e antigen (eAg) was detected in the serum from all eight wives. Although HbsAg was not detected in specimens of sputum and cervical mucus of carrier-state women by reverse passive haemagglutination, it was detected in the vaginal discharge of women during days 1--6 of the menstrual cycle at a rate ranging from 20--60%. Thus, sexual transmission of HBsAg seems to occur, particularly if sexual contact takes place during or immediately after menstruation.

Full text

PDF
366

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adam E., Hollinger F. B., Melnick J. L., Dueñas A., Rawls W. E. Type B hepatitis antigen and antibody among prostitutes and nuns: a study of possible venereal transmission. J Infect Dis. 1974 Mar;129(3):317–321. doi: 10.1093/infdis/129.3.317. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Frösner G. G., Buchholz H. M., Gerth H. J. Prevalence of hepatitis B antibody in prostitutes. Am J Epidemiol. 1975 Sep;102(3):241–250. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112153. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Heathcote J., Sherlock S. Spread of acute type-B hepatitis in London. Lancet. 1973 Jun 30;1(7818):1468–1470. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)91809-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hersh T., Melnick J. L., Goyal R. K., Hollinger F. B. Nonparenteral transmission of viral hepatitis type B (Australia antigen-associated serum hepatitis). N Engl J Med. 1971 Dec 9;285(24):1363–1364. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197112092852408. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Imai M., Yamashita Y., Miyakawa Y., Mayumi M. Haemagglutination inhibition assay of the common determinants and subspecificities of Australia antigen. Immunology. 1974 Nov;27(5):871–878. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Magnius L. O., Espmark J. A. New specificities in Australia antigen positive sera distinct from the Le Bouvier determinants. J Immunol. 1972 Nov;109(5):1017–1021. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mayumi M., Okochi K., Nishioka K. Detection of Australia antigen by means of immune adherence haemagglutination test. Vox Sang. 1971 Feb;20(2):178–181. doi: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1971.tb00549.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Okada K., Kamiyama I., Inomata M., Imai M., Miyakawa Y. e antigen and anti-e in the serum of asymptomatic carrier mothers as indicators of positive and negative transmission of hepatitis B virus to their infants. N Engl J Med. 1976 Apr 1;294(14):746–749. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197604012941402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Okochi K., Mayumi M., Haguino Y., Saito N. Evaluation of frequency of Australia antigen in blood donors of Tokyo by means of immune adherence hemagglutination technique. Vox Sang. 1970 Sep-Oct;19(3):332–337. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Papaevangelou G., Trichopoulos D., Kremastinou T., Papoutsakis G. Prevalence of hepatitis B antigen and antibody in prostitutes. Br Med J. 1974 May 4;2(5913):256–258. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5913.256. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Piccinino F., Manzillo G., Sagnelli E., Balestrieri G., Maio G. Familial clustering of hepatitis B antigen and liver diseases in families with a high incidence of viral hepatitis. Infection. 1975;3(2):99–104. doi: 10.1007/BF01641050. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schuurs A. H., Kacaki J. Reversed haemagglutination tests for the detection of hepatitis B antigen. Vox Sang. 1974;27(2):97–114. doi: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1974.tb02398.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Villarejos V. M., Visoná K. A., Gutiérrez A., Rodríguez A. Role of saliva, urine and feces in the transmission of type B hepatitis. N Engl J Med. 1974 Dec 26;291(26):1375–1378. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197412262912602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Vyas G. N., Shulman N. R. Hemagglutination assay for antigen and antibody associated with viral hepatitis. Science. 1970 Oct 16;170(3955):332–333. doi: 10.1126/science.170.3955.332. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Venereal Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES