Significance of serum and hepatic markers of hepatitis B viral infection in HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative chronic active hepatitis.

The correlation between serum and hepatic markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been studied in 70 subjects with chronic active hepatitis of whom 18 were HBsAg+ and 52 were HBsAg-. In HBsAg+ subjects, sera were tested for HBeAg/anti-HBe status and for HBV DNA sequences using a DNA dot hybridization technique. Anti-HBs and anti-HBc were measured in serum in the HBsAg- group. Immunoperoxidase staining was used to detect HBsAg, HBcAg and delta antigen in liver tissue. Of the 18 HBsAg+ patients, 13 were HBeAg+ and 5 were anti-HBe+. A good correlation was shown between HBeAg and HBV DNA in serum and HBcAg expression in liver tissue. Neither HBV DNA in serum nor HBcAg in liver tissue was detected in any of the anti-HBe+ patients. HBsAg and/or HBcAg were detected in liver tissue in 17 of 18 HBsAg+ subjects (95%). However, neither HBsAg nor HBcAg were detected in liver tissue in 52 HBsAg- patients. This group included 11 patients with antibody markers in serum of past HBV infection. Thus, in contrast to previous studies, a good correlation was demonstrated between the serum and hepatic markers of viral replication, and no evidence was obtained to implicate the HBV as an etiological agent in HBsAg- chronic active hepatitis.