Chronic liver disease and hepatitis-B antigen: a prospective study.
A long-term follow-up of 45 patients with chronic hepatitis and 41 with cirrhosis is reported. Hepatitis-B antigen (HBAg) was present in 19 (42%) of the chronic hepatitis patients and in 20 (49%) of those with cirrhosis. The clinical course and biochemical and histological findings in the HBAg-positive and the HBAg-negative cases were similar, suggesting that HBAg-positive chronic liver disease is not a distinct clinical entity. The presence of antigen and autoantibodies was not found to be mutually exclusive. In HBAg-positive cases antigen tended to persist for months and years. When no irreversible lesions exist disappearance of the antigen may be a sign that the liver disease will resolve.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000276:immunology; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D001323:Autoantibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens