Abstract
Hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) was determined in 718 sera from 319 patients, mostly with chronic hepatitis B, by spot hybridization test with cloned HBV DNA probe. With this technique, as little as 0.39pg of HBV DNA could be detected. Compared with spotting 10μl of serum directly onto nitrocellulose papers, a greater sensitivity was obtained by Spotting nucleic acid extracted from 100μl of serum.
Serum HBV DNA was detected in 93.1% of HBeAg positive patients, 34.5% of patients negative for both HBeAg and anti-HBe, and 15.8% of anti-HBe positive patients. The degree of dissociation of serum HBV DNA and HBeAg seemed to correspond with the histological progression of liver disease.
Thus, in chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis circulating HB Virus can not be assured by the HBeAg/anti-HBe system.
