title: Hepatitis B virus: a possible cause of serositis in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: An epidemiologic survey in a maintenance hemodialysis population of 300 patients was undertaken to relate the appearance of acute serositis (pericarditis, pleuritis or ascites) to HBsAg antigenemia. A significant number of incidents of serositis occurred in patients acutely or chronically infected with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) suggesting an etiologic role for the virus in the serositis of uremia. In 2 patients with both end-stage renal disease and chronic HBsAg antigenemia, immunofluorescent studies of serosal tissues showed fluorescent clusters interpreted to be HBs antigen-antibody complexes. It is concluded that an immunologic response to viremia may be one of the causes of serositis in uremia.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000209:etiology; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000209:etiology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012700:Serositis / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens