Abstract
The precipitating "e-antigen" was found to be closely associated with hepatitis-B antigen (HBAg) in serum specimens from patients with biopsy-confirmed acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, or cirrhosis. The e-antigen was never demonstrated in HBAg-negative sera. Among patients with HB-antigenæmia the e-antigen was significantly more common in those with chronic hepatitis (58% positive) and cirrhosis (31% positive) compared with those with acute hepatitis (10% positive). The e-antigen was a valuable prognostic marker in HBAg-positive acute viral hepatitis, since progression to chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis was confirmed by serial biopsy in 11 out of 19 consecutive e-positive patients. The acute disease in the e-positive patients with acute hepatitis differed significantly from that of the e-negative (HBAg-positive) patients, and was characterised by lower serum-bilirubin concentration and lower serum-aspartate-transaminase activity. The liver morphology showed a more frequent destruction of the limiting plate and a more severe Kupffer cell proliferation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
