1987 Volume 84 Issue 1 Pages 45-51
Sera and biopsied liver specimens from 45 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers with or without liver diseases were examined for markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV): hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and its corresponding antibody (anti-HBe), HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA) in serum and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) in the liver. Their clinical features were analyzed in terms of these virological markers.
HBV-DNA in serum and HBcAg in the liver were positive in all of asymptomatic HBsAg carriers positive for HBeAg in serum, but none of those positive for serum anti-HBe. Whereas in patients with chronic liver diseases, such a concordant presence or absence of serum HBV-DNA and HBcAg in the liver according to the HBeAg/anti-HBe status was found in only 22 of 37 cases (59.6%). Of these three HBV markers, the presence of serum HBV-DNA was found to reflect most closely the serum transaminase levels in chronic liver diseases.
These results indicate that detection of serum HBV-DNA is the most sensitive parameter for HBV replication and also reflects the inflammatory activity in the liver of patients with chronic liver diseases.
Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi
Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi Kou
