Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatitis-B Antigen: A Prospective Study

A long-term follow-up of 45 patients with chronic hepatitis and 41 with cirrhosis is reported. Hepatitis-B antigen (HBAg) was present in 19 (42%) of the chronic hepatitis patients and in 20 (49%) of those with cirrhosis. The clinical course and biochemical and histological findings in the HBAg-posit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ 1974-08, Vol.3 (5928), p.444-446
Main Authors: Van Waes, L., Segers, J., Van Egmond, J., Van Nimmen, L., Barbier, F., Wieme, R., Demeulenaere, L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Antigens
Autoantibodies
Autoantibodies - analysis
Biopsies
Chronic Disease
Chronic hepatitis
Cirrhosis
Complement Fixation Tests
Disease course
Female
Hepatitis
Hepatitis - immunology
Hepatitis antigens
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B Antigens - isolation & purification
Humans
Immunodiffusion
Liver
Liver Cirrhosis - immunology
Liver diseases
Liver Diseases - immunology
Liver Function Tests
Male
Middle Aged
Papers and Originals
Prospective Studies
Radioimmunoassay
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Summary:A long-term follow-up of 45 patients with chronic hepatitis and 41 with cirrhosis is reported. Hepatitis-B antigen (HBAg) was present in 19 (42%) of the chronic hepatitis patients and in 20 (49%) of those with cirrhosis. The clinical course and biochemical and histological findings in the HBAg-positive and the HBAg-negative cases were similar, suggesting that HBAg-positive chronic liver disease is not a distinct clinical entity. The presence of antigen and autoantibodies was not found to be mutually exclusive. In HBAg-positive cases antigen tended to persist for months and years. When no irreversible lesions exist disappearance of the antigen may be a sign that the liver disease will resolve.
ISSN:0007-1447
0959-8138
1468-5833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.3.5928.444