The e antigen and antibody in the serum of patients with HBsAg-positive liver disease and in asymptomatic carriers.
Serum samples from 103 HBsAg positive and 69 negative patients were examined in Ouchterlony double diffusion in agarose for the presence of e antigen and anti-e antibody. e antigen was found in 66% of the cases of active chronic hepatitis, 18% of those of active cirrhosis, and 12% of those of acute hepatitis. Anti-e antibody was found only in asymptomatic chronic carriers; it occurred in 56% of HBsAg-positive individuals with normal livers at biopsy. No e reactivity was found in 6 subjects with inactive disease and in 3 with chronic persistent hepatitis. The e system seems a valuable diagnostic tool utilizing the presence of the antigen to differentiate patients with chronic progressive disease from healthy carriers who, in contrast, often have circulating anti-e antibodies; its clinical value, however, is at present limited  by the low sensitivity of the technique used for antigen detection. A significant association between e antigen and the intrahepatic expression of the core determinant of the HB virus was observed inthis study, suggesting they have a similar role in pathogenicity and infectivity; the association between anti-e antibody and HBsAg appeared uncertain, HBsAg being present in the liver irrespective of e reactivity.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000906:Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens