title: The immunologic staging of chronic active hepatitis B patients in Hawaii.
abstract: The hepatitis B antigen/antibody levels and natural killer cell activity status of chronic hepatitis B patients identified by the Hawaii State Department of Health were evaluated to select chronically infected hepatitis B patients for interferon therapy and to determine possible immunodeficiencies. The presence of hepatitis Be antigen denotes active replication of the virus. Ninety-five patients were studied: 17/95 (18%) had chronic active hepatitis B, 71/95 (75%) were hepatitis B carriers and 7/95 (7%) had seroconverted. NK activity to the erythroleukemia K562 cell and virus-infected HSV-1 cell of the chronic active and carrier population (P < .05) were lower than that of the control population and those who had spontaneously seroconverted. Of this population 18% were identified with active viral infection and would be candidates for interferon therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii-Manoa.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lumeng
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pon
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ching
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D007372:Interferons