title: The HBe antigen-antibody system and its relationship to epidemiological, histological and biochemical findings in patients with HBV+ HDV chronic liver diseases.
abstract: The authors describe the results of prospective research on the HBeAg-anti-HBe system in 81 HBV patients and on HBV+ HDV chronic liver disease in 19 patients who were treated at Slavonski Brod Medical Centre. They analyze the correlation between various epidemiological groups of patients, liver disease activity and the condition of the HBeAg-anti-HBe system in chronic HBV and HDV infection. A clear correlation was established between the presence of HBe antigen and the patients' youth, the pathological alanin aminotransferase values and pathohistological liver findings. In as many as 64.4% of the HBeAg-positive patients the active chronic liver disease process was verified. However, this pathological activity was also verified in 36.4% of the HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection. Moreover, anti-HBe was found more often in the serum of the hepatitis D infected patients (68.4%). Serious forms of chronic liver disease were found in all of the HDV-positive patients with the anti-HBe finding in serum. However, chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver was found in only 23.5% of the HBeAg-positive patients suffering from HDV infection. We should point out that the HBeAg-anti-HBe system does not have an absolute value in the estimation of histological liver changes and in the prognosis of chronic liver disease for individual patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Slavonski Brod, Croatia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jelić
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jelić
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens