Vox Sang. 30: 191-199 (1976)
HBsAG and Anti-HBs among Israeli Blood Donors' S. BARSHANYand L. NAGGAN Central Blood Bank, Magen David Adorn, Tel Aviv and the IsraeI Defense Forces Medical Corps
Abstract. Prevalence of HBsAg was studied by counterelectrophoresis (CEP) in 65,795 consecutive volunteer blood donors in Israel. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was 1.22%. HBsAg was more prevalent in the young donors, more prevalent in male donors and varied according to the country of origin of the donors. The prevalence of HB,Ag was 0.63% among donors born in Europe or the Americas and 2.83% for those born in Asia or Africa. The HBsAg prevalence among native Israelis followed the same pattern with higher prevalence rates among those born in Israel whose families came from Asia or Africa than those from Europe or America. The prevalence of Anti-HB, by CEP was studied in 39,519 donors. The prevalence of antibody was higher in females and was higher in the same ethnic groups in whom there was a relatively high HBsAg prevalence.
Studies of HBsAg in different geographic areas have shown variation in the prevalence of the carrier rate [4, 81. The Israeli population represents an ingathering of people from wide geographic areas and thus affords an opportunity to compare the prevalence rates among immigrants from various countries. In a previous study [l], we analyzed the data of 10,000 donors according to their country of birth. In this study, 65,795 donors were studied and data on paternal origin were included. This enabled us to compare HB,Ag prevalence rates of immigrant Israelis to those in native Israelis. The large size of the donor population in this study permitted a more detailed ethnic analysis and the statistical confirmation of the previous small-size study. 39,519 donors were tested for anti-AB, by counterelectrophoresis (CEP) and the rates compared to the HB,Ag distribution. In memory of MEIRBENARI. Received: December 6, 1974; accepted: May 13, 1975.
BARSHANYINAGCAN
192
Materials and Methods All donors whose blood was tested at the MDA Central Blood Bank from September 1971 to October 1972 are included. MDA blood donors are all volunteer donors between the ages 18 and 65. Over 95% donated within a blood insurance plan in which each donor gives 1 pt of blood a year. The rest are family replacement donors. The vast majority (over 99%) are Jews. About 50% of the blood samples were collected in army units, 25% in industry, 10%in agricultural settlements and the rest at MDA stations in various cities. Blood samples were tested by CEP. The method used [l] was a modification of the one described by PESSENDORFER et al. [8]. The anti-HBs used in the test was from human source. Pools of 3-4 plasma units of blood donors with CEP antibodies were used. Each unit was simultaneously tested for HBsAg and anti-HBa. The HBsAg used for anti-HBB detection was from a pool of HBsAg-positive plasmas. Anti-HBs testing began in March 1972 and therefore only 39,519 persons were tested as against 65,796 donors tested for HBsAg. For each donor a computer card was punched with the following data: date and place of donation, unit number, age, sex, blood type, detection of HBsAg or anti-HBs, country of birth and paternal country of birth for native Israelis. The data were analyzed with the aid of the computer.
Results The overall prevalence of HBsAg among Israeli blood donors was found to be 1.22% for HB,Ag and 0.32%for anti-HBs. The prevalence of HBsAg in males is higher than in females. On the other hand, anti-HBs was more prevalent in females (table I). Table I. Prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs among Israeli blood donors (by sex)
Positive Negative Total Rate, YO
a
Male
Female
HBsAgl anti-HBsa
HB,Ag
anti-HB,
HBsAg
anti-HBs
751 55,110 55,861 1.34
53 9,882 9,935 0.53
28 6,184 6,212 0.45
804 64,992 65,796 1.22
126 39,393 39,519 0.32
98 33,209 33,307 0.29
Total xa=12.5 with 1 d.f., p
HBsAG and Anti-HBs among Israeli Blood Donors' S. BARSHANYand L. NAGGAN Central Blood Bank, Magen David Adorn, Tel Aviv and the IsraeI Defense Forces Medical Corps
Abstract. Prevalence of HBsAg was studied by counterelectrophoresis (CEP) in 65,795 consecutive volunteer blood donors in Israel. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was 1.22%. HBsAg was more prevalent in the young donors, more prevalent in male donors and varied according to the country of origin of the donors. The prevalence of HB,Ag was 0.63% among donors born in Europe or the Americas and 2.83% for those born in Asia or Africa. The HBsAg prevalence among native Israelis followed the same pattern with higher prevalence rates among those born in Israel whose families came from Asia or Africa than those from Europe or America. The prevalence of Anti-HB, by CEP was studied in 39,519 donors. The prevalence of antibody was higher in females and was higher in the same ethnic groups in whom there was a relatively high HBsAg prevalence.
Studies of HBsAg in different geographic areas have shown variation in the prevalence of the carrier rate [4, 81. The Israeli population represents an ingathering of people from wide geographic areas and thus affords an opportunity to compare the prevalence rates among immigrants from various countries. In a previous study [l], we analyzed the data of 10,000 donors according to their country of birth. In this study, 65,795 donors were studied and data on paternal origin were included. This enabled us to compare HB,Ag prevalence rates of immigrant Israelis to those in native Israelis. The large size of the donor population in this study permitted a more detailed ethnic analysis and the statistical confirmation of the previous small-size study. 39,519 donors were tested for anti-AB, by counterelectrophoresis (CEP) and the rates compared to the HB,Ag distribution. In memory of MEIRBENARI. Received: December 6, 1974; accepted: May 13, 1975.
BARSHANYINAGCAN
192
Materials and Methods All donors whose blood was tested at the MDA Central Blood Bank from September 1971 to October 1972 are included. MDA blood donors are all volunteer donors between the ages 18 and 65. Over 95% donated within a blood insurance plan in which each donor gives 1 pt of blood a year. The rest are family replacement donors. The vast majority (over 99%) are Jews. About 50% of the blood samples were collected in army units, 25% in industry, 10%in agricultural settlements and the rest at MDA stations in various cities. Blood samples were tested by CEP. The method used [l] was a modification of the one described by PESSENDORFER et al. [8]. The anti-HBs used in the test was from human source. Pools of 3-4 plasma units of blood donors with CEP antibodies were used. Each unit was simultaneously tested for HBsAg and anti-HBa. The HBsAg used for anti-HBB detection was from a pool of HBsAg-positive plasmas. Anti-HBs testing began in March 1972 and therefore only 39,519 persons were tested as against 65,796 donors tested for HBsAg. For each donor a computer card was punched with the following data: date and place of donation, unit number, age, sex, blood type, detection of HBsAg or anti-HBs, country of birth and paternal country of birth for native Israelis. The data were analyzed with the aid of the computer.
Results The overall prevalence of HBsAg among Israeli blood donors was found to be 1.22% for HB,Ag and 0.32%for anti-HBs. The prevalence of HBsAg in males is higher than in females. On the other hand, anti-HBs was more prevalent in females (table I). Table I. Prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs among Israeli blood donors (by sex)
Positive Negative Total Rate, YO
a
Male
Female
HBsAgl anti-HBsa
HB,Ag
anti-HB,
HBsAg
anti-HBs
751 55,110 55,861 1.34
53 9,882 9,935 0.53
28 6,184 6,212 0.45
804 64,992 65,796 1.22
126 39,393 39,519 0.32
98 33,209 33,307 0.29
Total xa=12.5 with 1 d.f., p
