title: [Cutaneous immunofluorescence in B virus diseases. 100 cases].
abstract: Immunofluorescence tests in healthy skin were performed in 75 patients with hepatitis B virus diseases (group I), in 25 HBs-antigen negative patients with the same diseases (group II) and in 90 controls (group III). HB virus diseases included acute, prolonged hepatitis; chronic, persistent and active hepatitis; cirrhosis and periarteritis nodosa. The immunofluorescence test was positive (micro- or macrogranular deposits in the walls of dermal vessels of HBs-antigen associated or not with immunoglobulins and complement) in 8 patients of group I (prolonged hepatitis 1; chronic persistent hepatitis 2; chronic active hepatitis 3; periarteritis nodosa 2), 3 of whom had no clinical manifestations, and in 3 patients of group II (chronic active hepatitis 2, periarteritis nodosa 1). Although not all patients with extrahepatic HB virus disease have a skin test positive for HBs-antigen and, conversely, a positive skin test does not necessarily imply clinical manifestations, it seems that skin immunofluorescence should be systematically performed as part of immunological investigations in all diseases where the HB virus might be involved.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003450:Cryoglobulins; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D003165:Complement System Proteins
vernacular_title: L'immunofluorescence cutanée dans les affections à virus B. Cent observations.