Neldner, Liana, Radlof, Sharna, Smith, Simon, Littlejohn, Margaret, Hempenstall, Allison, and Hanson, Josh (2024) Age of hepatitis B e antigen loss in Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous residents of tropical Australia; implications for clinical care. Communicable Diseases Intelligence, 48.

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Abstract

This study determined the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status of people living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Far North Queensland (FNQ), Australia and their age of HBeAg loss. It was hoped that this would provide data to explain the stark difference in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals living with CHB in FNQ, a finding that has been hypothesised to relate to differences in hepatitis B virus genotype. We identified every FNQ resident with CHB, determined their country of birth, their HBeAg status, the age they lost HBeAg and whether they identified as an Aboriginal, a Torres Strait Islander or a non-Indigenous individual. We then ascertained whether these demographic and virological variables were correlated. Of 1,474 individuals living with CHB in FNQ, 278 (19%) were Aboriginal, 507 (34%) were Torres Strait Islanders and 689 (47%) were non-Indigenous. Aboriginal individuals were less likely to be HBeAg positive (26/278, 9%) than Torres Strait Islander (91/507, 18%) and non-Indigenous (126/689, 18%) individuals, p < 0.0001. Aboriginal individuals lost HBeAg at an earlier age (median (interquartile range): 30 (23–39) years) than Torres Strait Islander (38 (29–49) years) and non-Indigenous (36 (29–47) years) individuals, p < 0.0001. Aboriginal individuals with CHB in FNQ are more likely to be HBeAg negative than Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous individuals and lose HBeAg at a younger age. This provides a biological basis for local clinicians’ observation that Aboriginal individuals with CHB in FNQ are at a lower risk of HCC and data to support the principle of genotype-based care in the region.

Item ID:	85775
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2209-6051
Copyright Information:	© 2024 Commonwealth of Australia as represented by the Department of Health and Aged Care. Creative Commons Licence – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives CC BY-NC-ND This publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Non-Commercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence from https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode (Licence). You must read and understand the Licence before using any material from this publication.
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2025 03:38
FoR Codes:	45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4504 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing > 450402 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander biomedical and clinical sciences @ 100%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280103 Expanding knowledge in the biomedical and clinical sciences @ 100%
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