Abstract

Primary screening test for serum HBsAg by RPHA from 4,805 persons who were clinically well through preemployment examination for the period of one calendar year of 1983 revealed 476 (9.9%) positive individual carriers. There were no significant differences in distribution of positives of serum HBsAg by age group, profession, or province area. Among positives of serum HBsAg, 356 (74.8%) showed normal findings and 120 (25.2%) showed abnormal findings in liver function test, respectively. Radioimmunoassay was done in 169 positives of HBsAg and RIA detected 10 negative persons who were positive by RPHA revealing 5.9% of false positive rate and 94.1% of sensitivity of RPHA. In RIA profile of HBV markers, pattern I (HBsAg+, Anti-HBe+) was 46.6%, pattern II (HBsAg+, HBeAg+) was 33.3%, pattern III (HBsAg+only) was 18.3%, pattern IV (HBsAg+, HBeAg+, Anti-HBs+) was 1.3%, pattern V (HBsAg+, HBeAg+, Anti-HBe+) was 0.6%, respectively. There were no positives of HBsAg among 10 persons who were negatives of HBsAg by RIA.