title: Clinical and pathological study of asymptomatic HBsAg carriers in Chile.
abstract: A clinical, biochemical, and pathological study was performed in 38 chronic HBsAg carriers. The study group is a part of 393 carriers found among 117 705 voluntary blood donors at the National Blood Bank, Hospital del Salvador, Santiago, Chile. None of the 38 carriers had a past history of illicit drug abuse, hepatitis, or work involving a high risk of hepatitis B virus infection. Ten individuals had a normal liver biopsy, 17 reactive non-specific hepatitis, one fatty changes, four chr onic persistent hepatitis, one aggressive hepatitis, two post-necrotic cirrhosis, and three alcoholic cirrhosis. There was not a close correlation between liver function test and liver histology. The most significant laboratory finding was the postivity of alpha fetoprotein in two cases. During the follow-up the two alpha fetoprotein patients presented a hepatocarcinoma 12 and 14 months after admission to the study.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002677:Chile; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens