Abstract
Peritoneoscopic findings of 22 HBV carriers, who had become asymptomatically seroconverted to anti-HBe, were compared with those of 14 HBeAg positive asymptomatic carriers. Adhesions between the liver and its neighbouring organs were observed in 1 (7.1%) HBeAg positive patient and in 10 (45.5%) anti-HBe positive ones. Depressions, expressed as the sign of lobular necrosis, were observed in 1(7.1%) patient in the former and in 12 (54.5%) patients in the latter, Whitish markings, the sign of inflammation and fibrosis, were observed in 13 (92.9%) and 22 cases (100%) respectively. Whitish marking, depression and adhesion, which were considered to be morphological changes of the liver surface seen after hepatitis, were observed more frequently in anti-HBe positive patients than in HBeAg positive ones, and the difference was statistically significant. Our findings appear to support morphologically the presence of hepatitis during seroconversion of the patients, who had no history of active liver disease. We also examined the state of HBV DNA in the liver of 5 patients and found integrated HBV DNA (random integration) in all 3 anti-HBe positive patients. We considered this to be the sign of past HBV carrier state.
