PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-B VIRUS MARKERS IN SEVERAL INSTITUTIONS FOR MENTALLY-HANDICAPPED IN THE AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY OF MADRID

In order to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) marker s, 400 patients were studied: 134 residents of an institution (RI) for the mentally retarded and 266 under non-residential care (NRC). In th e residential institutions, all markers were absent in 69 (65.7%) of 1 05 patients with Down syndrome and 20 (69.0%) of 29 clients without Do wn syndrome. In the NRC clients, 167 (85.6%) of 195 patients with Down syndrome and 65 (91.5%) of 71 clients with other mental defects (psyc hologically and physically handicapped, autism) had negative tests for HBV markers. The prevalence of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg ) was higher in institutionalized mentally retarded (RI) and older pat ients (21 + years). Examination of 195 Down patients revealed a higher frequency (1.4 times) of surface antigen carriers as strictly matched non-Down syndrome cases (point prevalences 14.2% and 10.3%, respectiv ely). The higher prevalence in affected cases appears to be primarily associated with a longer persistence of antigenemia. Results related t o the sex of the patients were less clear. Neither affected nor non-af fected patients showed significant differences in prevalence among mal es and females. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.