Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Geographical Distribution of Australia Antigen Determinants d, y and w

Nature volume 247, pages 38–40 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

AUSTRALIA antigen (Au) has a group of antigenic determinants on its surface, which may occur in different combinations in the sera of people living in different geographical locations. Several of these determinants have been characterised and given alphabetical designations1–5. It has been reported that determinants d and y tend to be mutually exclusive6 although rarely they occur together (S. M. and S. B., unpublished). Determinants w and r also tend to occur in different samples rather than together and these two determinants have a strongly marked geographical distribution. Determinant w is common in the USA, South America, Europe and Africa, while r is common in Asia and the Pacific area5,7. We have tested 893 samples of Australia antigen from locations around the world for determinants d, y and w. Here we present these findings and speculate on factors which may contribute to the geographical distribution of Australia antigen subtypes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Levene, C., and Blumberg, B. S., Nature, 221, 195 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Raunio, V. K., London, W. T., Sutnick, A. I., Millman, I., and Blumberg, B. S., Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med., 134, 548 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Le Bouvier, G. L., J. infect. Dis., 123, 671 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kim, C. Y., and Tilles, J. J., J. infect. Dis., 123, 618 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bancroft, W. H., Mundon, F. K., and Russell, P. K., J. Immun., 109, 842 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Le Bouvier, G. L., McCollum, R. W., Hierholzer, jun., W. J., Irwin, G. R., Krugman, S., and Giles, J. P., J. Am. med. Ass., 222, 928 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Mazzur, S., Falker, D., and Blumberg, B. S., Nature new Biol., 243, 44 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mazzur, S., Am. J. med. Techn., 38, 343 (1972).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Turner, G. C., Field, A. M., Lasheen, R. M., Todd, R. M., White, G. B. B., and Porter, A. A., Arch. Dis. Child., 46, 616 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Merrill, D. A., Dubois, R. S., and Kohler, P. F., New Engl. J. Med., 287, 1280 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Okochi, K., Mayumi, M., and Yishioka, K., in Proc. 3rd Int. Symp. Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, Tokyo, November, 1972.

  12. Schweitzer, I. L., Wing, A., McPeak, C., and Spears, R. L., J. Am. med. Ass., 220, 1092 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Aziz, M., Kahn, G., Khanum, T., and Siddiqui, A., J. infect. Dis., 127, 110 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Mazzur, S., Blumberg, B. S., and Friedlaender, J. S., Nature, 247, 41 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Schweitzer, I. L., Edwards, V. M., Peters, R. L., and Mosley, J. W., Gastroenterology, 62, 808 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Encyclopedia Britannica, 22, 737 (1954).

  17. Dodd, R. Y., Holland, P. V., Ni, L. Y., Smith, H. M., and Greenwalt, T. J., Am. J. Epid., 97, 111 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Department of State Publication 7759 (Dominican Republic, October 1970).

  19. Schmidt, N. J., Roberto, R. R., and Lennett, E. H., Infect. Immun., 6, 1 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Simons, M. J., Binns, C. W., Malcolm, L. A., and Yap, E. H., Papua New Guin. med. J., 15, 91 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Iwarson, S., Magnius, L., Lindholm, A., and Lundin, P., Br. med. J., 1, 84 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Skinhøj, P., Br. med. J., 1, 418 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Saidi, S., Farrohi, Kh., McCollum, R. W., and Le Bouvier, G. L., Lancet, ii, 1377 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Center for Cancer and Medical Science, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    SCOTT MAZZUR, STEVEN BURGERT & BARUCH S. BLUMBERG

Authors
  1. SCOTT MAZZUR
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. STEVEN BURGERT
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. BARUCH S. BLUMBERG
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MAZZUR, S., BURGERT, S. & BLUMBERG, B. Geographical Distribution of Australia Antigen Determinants d, y and w. Nature 247, 38–40 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247038a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247038a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing