Prevalence of serological markers for hepatitis‐B in patients with insulin‐dependent diabetes

The prevalence of serological markers for hepatitis‐B infection was investigated in patients affected by insulin‐dependent diabetes (IDDM) living in different Italian regions and in the London area of the UK.

Thirty five percent of Italian and 13% of British patients showed positive markers for hepatitis‐B infection but none was found to be HBsAg carrier positive.

When these results are compared with data observed in control populations in both countries, these findings suggest a higher prevalence of hepatitis‐B infection in patients with IDDM. However, the negativity for HbsAg indicates that diabetic patients infected by the hepatitis‐B virus have an effective capacity for clearance of HBsAg.