[Long-term course in asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg in an area of low prevalence of hepatocarcinoma].

Data provided by 51 voluntary blood donors identified as asymptomatic HBsAg carriers five to ten years (mean = 7.5 years) before their inclusion in the study are analysed towards their long-term evolution. HBsAg clearance was estimated 2.5% yearly and 83.9% of those remaining positive showed the classical non-replicative serological pattern; another 12.9% were negative for both HBeAg-Anti HBe (seroconversion window?), one of them presenting raised ASAT-ALAT levels and enhanced histological activity (lobular chronic hepatitis). Neither alpha-fetoprotein seric levels (RIA) nor liver ultrasonography demonstrated hepatocellular carcinoma suspicion signs in 35 HBsAg positive cases to this methods; ASAT-ALAT levels raised over two fold the normal superior limit in only 11.4%, and neither aggressive chronic liver disease nor hepatocyte dysplasia was showed in 17 biopsied cases (70.6% normal; 23.6% chronic reactive or chronic persistent hepatitis; 5.8% chronic lobular hepatitis). One out of five patients biopsied with a seven years interval showed histologic worsening.