American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 120, No. 4: 617-625
Copyright © 1984 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
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TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS AMONG SIBLINGS
1First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University Higashiku, Fukuoka City 812, Japan
2Department of Pediatrics, Nichinan Prefectural Hospital Nichinan City, Japan
3Ohji Central Clinic, Ohji Co. Nichinan City, Japan
4First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kurume University Kurume City, Japan
Reprint requests to Dr. S. Kashiwagi
The authors investigated families with at least one hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier in Okinawa, Japan, to determine possible routes of hepatitis B virus transmission within famiiy units. A total of 175 members of 37 families on the western part of irlomote island, Okinawa, were followed up for 2–13 years; 68 were HBsAg-positive at least once. Sera were collected once a year. All serum samples were assayed by radloimmunoassay to determine presence of HBeAg, antibody to HBsAg (antl-HBe), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). In five of the 15 families with a positive mother and negative father, one or more HBsAg-positive children were found. In contrast, an HBeAg-positive child was found in only one of the eight families with a negative mother and positive father. In nine of the 14 families with both parents negative, two or more children were positive. Apparent sibling-to-sibling hepatitis B transmission occurred during the period of observation in four of the families with both parents negative. Eight children less than four years old were HBsAg- positive when first surveyed or became HBsAg carriers when four years of age or younger. No one over four years of age changed from HBsAg-negative to positive. This study found 1) in the family setting, there were cases of apparent maternal transmission but there were more cases of apparent sibling-to-sibling transmission, and 2) children under four years of age seemed to become carriers more easily than older children.
carrier state; hepatitis B antigens; hepatitis B virus
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