INTRODUCTION The intrahepatic hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) expression is related to disease progression of chronic hepatitis B. We examined the features of intrahepatic HBsAg expression. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 181 patients with e antigen positive chronic hepatitis B were enrolled. Patterns and semi-quantitative measurement of intrahepatic HBsAg expression were analyzed. The a...

The ability of human semen and saliva to transmit hepatitis B virus (HBV) by parenteral and nonparenteral routes was studied. Semen, donated by a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)- and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive carrier, was administered to one gibbon by subcutaneous inoculation and to another by intravaginal instillation. Both developed HBsAg, followed by the development of antib...

Repeated administration of an intravenous immunoglobulin containing antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) but free of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) before and after the inoculation of 10(4.9) 50% chimpanzee infective doses of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markedly prolonged the incubation period of HBV in experimentally i...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether prolonged infection with hepatitis B virus is associated with a lower blood cholesterol concentration. DESIGN Cross sectional study. SETTING 81 villages in rural China with a high prevalence of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus. SUBJECTS 1556 apparently healthy men aged 35-64 years, randomly selected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Hepatitis B virus carrier ...

One hundred and sixty three cases of sporadic acute viral hepatitis were included in this study. Clinical diagnosis in all cases was supported by laboratory evidence of hepatocellular necrosis (AST/ALT levels 2.5 times the upper limit of normal). Sera collected in acute phase and stored at -20°C were analysed for various seromarkers of hepatitis using radioimmunoassay technique (Abbott Laborato...

Several recent reports have shown that hepatitis B virus (HBV) could be frequently transmitted to the recipients from donors who have antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) through liver transplantation. We provide here the molecular evidence of latent HBV infection accompanied with ongoing viral replication in the liver tissue of anti-HBc-positive healthy individuals. HBV DNA was de...