Abstract
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) carriers were examined by peritoneoscopy and their liver surfaces were analysed according to their age, clinical course (including the alanine aminotransferase (GPT) activities) and hepatitis Be antigen (HBe Ag). The liver surfaces were classified into 4 surface codes, “100”, “200”, “300” and “400”, according to Shimada's classification.
In HBe Ag positive carriers, those of forty years and over had irregular or nodular liver surfaces (“300” or “400”). Whereas those of less than forty years had more smooth liver surfaces (“100” or “200”). These data suggest that the liver surface changes gradually and progressively with the age in HBe Ag positive carriers.
On the contrary, some of those of HBe Ag negative carriers with more than forty years remained in smooth liver (“200”) without any clinical symptoms. Most of the carriers in “300” group, whether they were positive for HBe Ag or not, showed reddish-brown patches, which suggested that the liver changed progressively. We conclude that the seroconversion from HBe Ag positive to negative in the earlier stage (less than “300”) is indispensable.
