Biomaterial Database

Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus in children. 1993

S C Hsu, and M H Chang, and Y H Ni, and H Y Hsu, and C Y Lee

Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.

Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for about half of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in Taiwan. To investigate the routes and risk factors of horizontal HBV transmission, 131 HBsAg carrier children of HBsAg seronegative mothers were compared with 98 age-matched children seronegative for all hepatitis B markers. Possible factors influencing transmission of HBV, including family size, age at attending kindergarten, frequency of intramuscular injection during infancy and at the toddler stage, contact with HBsAg carriers, and HBV status of parents, siblings and caretakers were studied by questionnaire survey. Intramuscular injection frequency during infancy and at the toddler stage and prevalence of HBsAg positivity among siblings were significantly higher in carrier children than in the control group. Other factors studied were not different in these two groups. The results indicated that unsterilized, multiple intramuscular injections and intrafamilial spread among siblings might be the major routes of horizontal HBV transmission in children in Taiwan.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D012044	Regression Analysis	Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable.	Regression Diagnostics,Statistical Regression,Analysis, Regression,Analyses, Regression,Diagnostics, Regression,Regression Analyses,Regression, Statistical,Regressions, Statistical,Statistical Regressions
D002353	Carrier State	The condition of harboring an infective organism without manifesting symptoms of infection. The organism must be readily transmissible to another susceptible host.	Asymptomatic Carrier State,Asymptomatic Infection Carrier,Inapparent Infection Carrier,Presymptomatic Carrier State,Presymptomatic Infection Carrier,Super-spreader Carrier,Superspreader Carrier,Asymptomatic Carrier States,Asymptomatic Infection Carriers,Carrier State, Asymptomatic,Carrier State, Presymptomatic,Carrier States,Carrier, Super-spreader,Carrier, Superspreader,Carriers, Super-spreader,Carriers, Superspreader,Inapparent Infection Carriers,Infection Carrier, Asymptomatic,Infection Carrier, Inapparent,Infection Carrier, Presymptomatic,Presymptomatic Carrier States,Presymptomatic Infection Carriers,Super spreader Carrier,Super-spreader Carriers,Superspreader Carriers
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006509	Hepatitis B	INFLAMMATION of the LIVER in humans caused by a member of the ORTHOHEPADNAVIRUS genus, HEPATITIS B VIRUS. It is primarily transmitted by parenteral exposure, such as transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products, but can also be transmitted via sexual or intimate personal contact.	Hepatitis B Virus Infection
D006511	Hepatitis B Antigens	Antigens of the virion of the HEPATITIS B VIRUS or the Dane particle, its surface (HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGENS), core (HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIGENS), and other associated antigens, including the HEPATITIS B E ANTIGENS.	HBAg,Hepatitis B Antigen,Antigen, Hepatitis B,Antigens, Hepatitis B,B Antigen, Hepatitis,B Antigens, Hepatitis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man