By radioimmunoassay, HBsAg was studied in 230 cases of Korean patients with chronic hepatitis proven by biopsy, and their contrasting features of chronic hepatitis with and without HBsAg were studied.
The results were as follows:
1) In a series of 230 patients with chronic hepatitis, a most sensitive radioimmunoassay technique showed 155 cases to be positive for HBsAg, and 75 cases to be negative for HBsAg. The sex distribution was 126 in male and 29 in female with a mean age of 38.8 among HBsAg positive groups, and 55 in male and 20 in female with a mean age of 42.77 among HBsAg negative groups.
There were no significant differences between HBsAg positive and negative patients for clinical symptoms and signs.
2) Overall incidence of HBsAg in chronic hepatitis revealed 67.4%. HBsAg was detected in 32.9% of chronic persistent hepatitis. But positivity of HBsAg in other chronic hepatitis was over 80%.
3) Abnormality in serum thymol turbidity was significantly low in HBsAg negative groups, but results of other liver function test were not significantly different statistically.
4) HBsAg associated particles on electron microscopy were observed in 9 of 10 cases with HBs Ag, in 2 of 9 cases without HBsAg in their serum.
5) Anti-HBs was more often present in those without HBsAg than with HBsAg (73.6% as compared with 14.3%).
6) There were significant differences between HBsAg
positive and negative patients for autoantibodies.. The antimitochondrial antibody was detected in 31.8%
of HBsAg positive groups, and 7.1% of HBAg negative groups. The antismooth muscle antibody was detected in 45.5% of HBsAg positive groups, and 21.4% of HBsAg negative groups.
7) According to the above mentioned results, most of the cases with chronic hepatitis in Korea, even the cases without HBsAg in their serum, are related to hepatitis B virus.
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