Sakugawa H, Ohwan T, Yamashiro A, Oyakawa T, Kadena K, Kinjo F, Saito A
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
J Med Virol. 1991 Jun;34(2):122-6. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890340210.
In the Okinawa Islands, the great majority of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers have already acquired antibody to hepatitis Be antigen (anti-HBe) by the age of 30 years (preliminary cross-sectional data). To elucidate natural seroconversion from hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) to anti-HBe among HBsAg carriers found in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture, 34 HBeAg-positive HBsAg carriers were followed for 1-6 years with serial measurements of aminotransferase levels, HBeAg, and anti-HBe. The 34 subjects included 24 patients with chronic hepatitis (group 1) and ten asymptomatic HBsAg carriers (group 2). During the follow-up period, HBeAg disappeared from 14 subjects in group 1 with the cumulative clearance rate of HBeAg of 56.3% within the first 2 years and with 10 of the 14 subsequently developing anti-HBe. Moreover, the aminotransferases in 12 of the 14 spontaneously seroconverted fell into the normal range. The annual clearance rates of HBeAg among group 1 and group 2 were 25.6% and 9.3%, respectively. The tendency for early disappearance of HBeAg during a carrier's life time or in the course of chronic hepatitis may lead to the low death rate from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) particularly HCC associated with hepatitis B virus infection in this area.
在冲绳群岛，绝大多数乙肝表面抗原（HBsAg）携带者在30岁时已获得乙肝e抗体（抗-HBe）（初步横断面数据）。为了阐明冲绳县各岛屿发现的HBsAg携带者中乙肝e抗原（HBeAg）向抗-HBe的自然血清学转换情况，对34例HBeAg阳性的HBsAg携带者进行了1至6年的随访，连续测量转氨酶水平、HBeAg和抗-HBe。这３４名受试者包括２４例慢性肝炎患者（第１组）和１０例无症状HBsAg携带者（第２组）。在随访期间，第１组中有１４名受试者的HBeAg消失，HBeAg的累积清除率在前两年内为56.3%，其中14人中有10人随后产生了抗-HBe。此外，14例自然血清学转换者中有12例的转氨酶降至正常范围。第1组和第2组中HBeAg的年清除率分别为25.6%和9.3%。HBeAg在携带者一生中或慢性肝炎病程中早期消失的趋势，可能导致该地区肝细胞癌（HCC），尤其是与乙肝病毒感染相关的HCC的低死亡率。
