title: Acute hepatitis A infection in hepatitis B chimpanzee carriers.
abstract: Two hepatitis B virus carrier chimpanzees which were superinfected with hepatitis A virus developed acute hepatitis followed by the production of antibodies to hepatitis A virus. The Southern blot technique employed to monitor liver hepatitis B virus DNA revealed that the amount of viral DNA in both animals was significantly reduced during the acute phase of hepatitis A infection. The levels of plasma hepatitis B DNA polymerase activity were also reduced in one chimpanzee. The high titers of HBsAg in the circulation remained unchanged throughout the study, and antibodies to the surface antigen and to e antigen were not detected. The morphological lesions in the liver were severe in one chimpanzee from whom one specimen showed both periportal focal necrosis and zonal parenchymal necrosis.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000150:complications*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D002679:Pan troglodytes
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens