title: Prevalence of HBeAg, anti-HBe and Dane particle-associated DNA polymerase activity in asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg.
abstract: HBeAg/anti-HBe and Dane particle-associated DNA polymerase activity were detected in serum samples from 358 HBsAg asymptomatic carriers found during normal routine screening of 11,200 blood donors (HBsAg prevalence 3.1%). Since virus specific DNA polymerase activity and HBeAg seem to be associated in some way with hepatitis B virus infectivity and liver damage, 5% of the HBsAg carriers examined, as detected by the presence of HBeAg, and 9.5%, as shown by DNA polymerase activity, can be expected to have liver damage and a potential risk of transmitting hepatitis B to contacts. On the other hand, 48% of subjects were theoretically healthy and non-infective because of the presence of anti-HBe in their blood. The differentiation of groups of asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, on the basis of these serological markers, may have important clinical and epidemiological implications.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase