Antigenemia HBs and other serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection in patients with acute and chronic alcoholism.

Serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection were studied in a group of recently presenting alcoholic out-patients and compared with a group of long-stay in-patients suffering from chronic alcoholism. All markers of infection were increased in the chronic group and were thought to be related to admission to the Alcohol Unit. Although both groups had normal liver function tests, the patients with the longer alcohol history had evidence of two coexisting causes of liver disease and may, therefore, have a much poorer prognosis.