Frequency and Persistence of Serologic Markers Following Three Different Manifestations of Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Abstract

30 asymptomatic chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HB(s)Ag), 6 asymptomatic blood donors transiently infected with hepatitis B virus, and 38 patients with acute hepatitis B were tested for HB(s)Ag, anti-HB(s), HB(e)Ag, anti-HB(e) and anti-HB(c). Comparison of these results revealed significant variation in the frequency of HB(e)Ag which was present in 1 (3.3%) carrier, 2 (33.3%) of the transiently positive donors, and in 24 (63.2%) of the patients with acute hepatitis. Anti-HB(e) was found in 28 (93.3%) of the carriers, 4 (66.6%) of the transiently positive donors, and in 8 (21%) of the patients. Variation was also seen in the strength of anti-HB(c), with only the chronic carriers having titres which were consistently high (above 1,000). Retesting the two groups of donors after a period of approximately 2 years showed no change in the serologic status of the chronic carriers, while amongst the transient HB(s)Ag positives the 2 HB(e)Ag reactives had seroconverted, 1 of the anti-HB(e) positives had become non-reactive, and 2 of the 6 had developed anti-HB(s). 6 of the patients with acute hepatitis B were serologically reexamined during convalescence and showed results similar to those seen in the transiently HB(s)Ag-positive donors, with clearance of HB(s)Ag in all, seroconversion from HB(e)Ag to anti-HB(e) in 4, and the production of anti-HB(s) in 4.