title: Persistence of hepatic hepatitis B virus after serological clearance of HBsAg with autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation.
abstract: Delayed clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen was previously reported in a 38 year old woman after high dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell rescue. Sixteen months later, this patient remained hepatitis B surface antigen negative, hepatitis B surface antibody positive, and serum hepatitis B DNA negative by polymerase chain reaction. Serial liver biopsies (one at hepatitis B e antigen positive stage, one at hepatitis B e antibody positive stage, and one at hepatitis B surface antigen negative and hepatitis B surface antibody positive stage) showed a gradual resolution of the inflammatory activity with loss of hepatitis B e antigen and then hepatitis B surface antigen in the serum. However, the degree of fibrosis, though mild, remained the same. With the serological clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen, a small amount of hepatitis B virus DNA was still detectable in the nuclei of liver cells.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. GKKLau@hkstar.com
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens