[Distribution of subtypes of viral hepatitis B antigen in areas of Rumania].
The results of subtyping the B antigen in 551 sera from patients with viral hepatitis, chronic evolutive hepatitis and cirrhosis, chronic carriers, donors and healthy subjects, were confirmed as positive HBAg by diffusion in agar, counterelectrophoresis and radioimmunology, and characterized by the d-y and w-r determinants by rheophoresis. The high incidence of the y determinant in all nine counties investigated probably reflects the prevalence of this serotype in Romania, recalling the distribution of subtypes observed in the south of Europe.