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Background & Aims: Persistence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in chronic hepatitis B has been associated with increased risk for development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Five hepatitis B virus genotypes were identified in Alaska Native persons; we analyzed clearance of HBeAg by age and genotype. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 1158 Alaska Native persons throughout Alaska were tested serially for HBeAg for a median of 20.5 years and were genotyped. Initial and final HBeAg-positive specimens, time to clearance, age at clearance, and subsequent HBeAg results were analyzed for persons initially HBeAg-positive. Subsequent HBeAg results were analyzed for persons initially negative. Results: Genotypes A, B, C, D, and F were identified. Genotype C persons initially HBeAg-positive were more likely than those with other genotypes to be positive on initial and final specimens (P < .001 for each) and time to HBeAg clearance was longer (P < .001). Age at which 50% of persons cleared HBeAg was <20 years for those infected with genotypes A, B, D, and F and 47.8 years in genotype C (P < .001). After losing HBeAg, those with genotypes C and F were more likely to revert to the HBeAg-positive state (P < .001). Conclusions: Genotype may have a strong effect on mode of transmission and outcome. Genotype C may have been responsible for most perinatal transmission, given that seroconversion from HBeAg occurs decades later than in other genotypes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hepatitis B antibody persistence was assessed in individuals who had previously received a vaccine booster. We measured hepatitis B surface antigen antibody (anti-HBs) levels 7 to 9 years post-hepatitis B booster in individuals with primary vaccination at birth. While 95 (91.3%) of 104 participants had detectable anti-HBs (minimum, 0.1 mIU/ml; maximum, 1,029 mIU/ml), only 43 (41%) had protective levels of ≥10 mIU/ml. Pre- and week 4 postbooster anti-HBs levels were significant predictors of hepatitis B immunity at follow-up (P < 0.001). Almost all participants had detectable anti-HBs 7 to 9 years after the hepatitis B vaccine booster, but less than half had levels ≥10 mIU/ml., (Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)