Immunofluorescence studies for hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B surface and core antigen in liver biopsies from patients with acute viral hepatitis.

Immunofluorescence studies for hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B surface and core antigen were performed on liver biopsies from 48 patients with acute viral hepatitis. Hepatitis A virus was detected in 11 out of 17 patients with type A hepatitis and was not found in patients with type B or non-A non-B hepatitis. Hepatitis B surface and core antigens were detected in 2, hepatitis B core antigen alone in 1, and hepatitis B surface antigen alone in 4 out of 24 patients with type B hepatitis. Neither hepatitis B surface nor core antigen were found in patients with type A or non-A non-B hepatitis. One patient with both type A and B hepatitis were all negative for hepatitis A virus, and hepatitis B surface and core antigens. Immunofluorescence examination for hepatitis A virus in human liver biopsies appears to be a sensitive and specific technique and might be valuable in the search for possible chronic carriers of hepatitis A virus.