title: Liver disease among homosexual males.
abstract: 5% of 2612 homosexual males attending genitourinary clinics were found to be hepatitis-B surface-antigen (HBsAg) positive. Liver biopsy was done in 25 who had abnormal liver-function tests but no symptoms or signs of liver disease, and 14 (56%) of these proved to have chronic active hepatitis or active cirrhosis. Neither the liver-function tests nor the viral markers in serum reflected the severity of the liver disease. 38% of a group of 118 HBsAg positive patients were HBeAg positive, and sexual contacts of these individuals may be at serious risk of infection.
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens