HEPATITIS B SEROLOGY IN MARSHALLESE
75
Commission (now the U.S. Department of Energy). To detect unsuspected medical consequences oftheir
radiation exposure, a third group of Marshallese has also been followed with medical examinations. This
population, composed of Rongelap people who were not on Rongelap Atoll at the time ofthe fallout,is
identified herein as the “comparison” group, and the age and sex distribution ofits current members is
statistically similar to each ofthe two exposed groups (9).
In 1984, sera were collected from 268 persons in the exposed and comparison groups and tested for
serological evidence of hepatitis B infection. In addition, 46 children of either exposed or unexposed parents were evaluated to obtain information on the age-specific prevalence of hepatitis B markers. Their ages
ranged from 10 to 28 years, in contrast to those in the three exposure categories who were 29 years of age
or older at the time of serologic testing. All but three persons tested were residents of one of fouratolls:
Rongelap and Utirik are the remote atolls which received the fallout, and Kwajalein and Majuroare larger
population centers.
Tests for HBsAg, e antigen, and antibodies to HBsAg, core antigen, and e antigen were performed
using commercially available radioimmunoassays (Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL). The level of
hepatitis B surface antigenemia was estimated by ratio units of the test samples as described in thetest kits.
TABLEI
Summary ofPositive Serologic Tests for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg), Antibody to Surface
Antigen, and Antibody to Core Antigen among 314 Marshallese
persons tested
Persons with
one or more
positive tests
Persons
positivefor
134
180
123 (91.8)
165 (91.7)
20 (14.9)
16 (8.9)
Number of
By sex
Male
Female
Combined
Byage (years)
10-28
29-39
40-49
>49
Byatoll of residence”
314
288 (91.7)
36 (11.5)
46
127
48
93
43 (93.5)
115 (90.6)
43 (89.6)
87 (93.3)
3 (6.5)
14(11.0)
6 (12.5)
13 (14.0)
89 (89.0)
10 (10.0)
Kwajalein
100
74
68 (91.9)
Rongelap
61
§8 (95.1)
Majuro
Utirik
By radiation exposure group
Rongelap exposed
Utirik exposed
Rongelap comparison
Byatoll of residence,
excluding Rongelap exposed
Kwajalein
Majuro
Rongelap
Utink
HBsAg
76
61
70 (92.1)
50 (82.0)
4(5,4)
3 (8.5)
19 (25.0)
2 (3.3)
112
103 (92.0)
21 (18.8)
95
86 (90.5)
10 (10.5)
69
6l
44
76
63 (91.3)
58 (95.1)
42 (95.5)
70 (92.1)
6 (8.7)
4 (6.6)
3 (6.8)
19 (25.0)
* Percentage of the total population tested is shown in parentheses.
» Three persons resided outside the atolls listed.