People, for various reasons interested in medicine, often have a question: Australian antigen - what is it? Today this is the name of the surface antigen that makes up the hepatitis B virus envelope. The antigen was first described in 1963, but then the name did not refer to the envelope, but to the virus as a whole.
The Australian antigen consists of many antigenic particles, which are divided into a large number of groups, called in scientific circles the Latin letters from a to q. It is the presence of these particles and their interaction among themselves that form the type of hepatitis.
Today, eight types of hepatitis are known, the causative agent of which is the Australian antigen. These 8 varieties of it are found constantly. But there are five more that are rarely initiated.
A characteristic feature that the Australian antigen possesses is the territorial distribution of its species.
So, in Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the Baltic states, and Moldova, HBsAg / ay is more common. This is the so-called territory of U, where the causative agent of hepatitis is the g-variant of the antigen.
The north of Europe and Africa, New Guinea, America are considered D territory, because the Australian HBsAg / adw antigen is common there.
On site R, in Southwest Asia and the Far East, the HBsAg / adr variety has been recorded, and all types of antigen are found in Oceania.
It is curious that a variety of antigen does not affect the symptoms inherent in hepatitis B.
The Australian antigen is a very dangerous formation, because it freely tolerates repeated freezing, heating to a temperature of 70 ° C. Moreover, it is not destroyed by modern disinfectants.
Australian antigen cannot be transmitted by domestic means. It is transferred during the transfusion of blood preparations from a sick person to a healthy person or through intravenous injections carried out with infected needles. The risk group includes patients with dentists.
In addition, since the concentration of the virus in the blood is very high with hepatitis B, it can get onto some hygiene items even from a tiny wound. Therefore, using someone else's toothbrushes, manicure scissors, razors, etc. may cause infection.
In one third of all infections, Australian antigen can be acquired through promiscuous unprotected sex. Therefore, the risk of contracting hepatitis B is, first of all, for individuals leading a licentious life, drug addicts, prostitutes, etc.
A mother who is infected or is a carrier of the hepatitis B virus can pass it in utero to her baby.
There is another equally terrible antigen called the prostate-specific antigen free or PSA. This is a protein that is localized in the tissue of the prostate gland. Its excessive concentration can lead to very serious consequences, therefore, men, especially after 50 years, it is recommended to regularly take tests for the presence of prostate-specific free antigen.
If its concentration exceeds 20%, this may be a sign of a benign neoplasm: prostatitis, prostate infarction, benign hyperplasia, etc. Less than 15% indicates the presence of malignant formation. These include cancer of the prostate, breast, cancer of the intestine, carcinoma. The remaining indicators are borderline, and the patient requires special supervision of specialists.
Since protein is bound directly to prostate tissue, it is extremely rare in women.
For the diagnosis of PSA, blood tests, digital rectal examinations, a colonoscopy, etc. are prescribed.
If a disease is suspected, a prostate biopsy or multiple tumor markers may be recommended. First of all, it is very important to carry out multiple determinations of tumor markers, as with a single analysis, they may not be determined. Secondly, a week before such studies completely eliminate any irritation, including biopsies, rectal examinations and the like.