title: HBsAg clearance in patients with long-standing chronic active hepatitis B and hepatitis B virus-induced liver cirrhosis.
abstract: During a period of 3 years we observed 5 patients with chronic active hepatitis B and 2 with hepatitis B virus-induced liver cirrhosis who cleared HBsAg from their sera after 2-14 years of HBsAg carriership. 4 of them developed anti-HBs. After HBsAg clearance there was no evidence of persisting inflammatory activity within their livers. 5 of the 7 patients had been treated for 1-39 months with prednisolone, sometimes in combination with azathioprine. This therapy, however, had been stopped more than 3 years before these patients terminated their HBsAg carriership. Our observations indicate that even after long-standing chronic active hepatitis B or hepatitis B virus-induced liver cirrhosis HBsAg may be eliminated in a considerable number of patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D002353:Carrier State; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase