[Bioclinical significance of the specificities of the hepatitis B HBe system].
The distribution and meaning of the three antigenic specificities (HBe Ag 1, 2, 3) of hepatitis B HBe system and corresponding antibodies (HBe Ab 1, 2, 3) were studied in Casablanca, Morocco, in two groups of HBs Ag carriers: patients with acute or chronic hepatitis and asymptomatic carriers (controls). The distribution of HBe Ag and Ab specificities was generally in agreement with published data: dominant HBe 1 specificity was always present, sometimes associated with HBe 2, rarely with HBe 3. However, the association of HBe Ag 1 + 2 + 3 was frequently observed among patients whereas the HBe Ab 1 + 2 + 3 one was as rare in patients as in the controls. In HBe Ag positive individuals, the HBs Ag amounts were all the higher as the specificities present in sera more numerous, index of proportionality between the number of HBe Ag specificities present in the serum and the intensity of the replication of the hepatitis B virus. In the clinical field, HBe Ag 1 was observed individually only among controls and patients with acute hepatitis leading to recovery. Two associated HBe Ag specificities (HBe Ag 1 + 2 or 1 + 3) were found both in these former cases and in fatal cases and in chronic hepatitis. The presence of HBe Ag 1 + 2 + 3, very rare among controls, was seen only among patients with chronic hepatitis, and with a high frequency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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D000208:Acute Disease; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009018:Morocco
D000939:Epitopes; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens
Signification bioclinique des spécificités du système HBe de l'hépatite B.