title: HBsAg clearance in chronic active hepatitis B. A possible cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis.
abstract: Three patients with chronic hepatitis B infection, two with chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis, and the third with quiescent cirrhosis, cleared HBsAg from their serum and eventually developed anti-HBs. All three were asymptomatic and had nearly normal serum aminotransferases following loss of HBsAg. Liver biopsy revealed cirrhosis in each patient. With the development of anti-HBs, these patients became serologically indistinguishable from patients with a cryptogenic cirrhosis who had prior unrelated exposure to hepatitis B. Remote chronic hepatitis B infection may be a more common cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis than is commonly appreciated.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000637:Transaminases