[Detection of inapparent forms of hepatitis in foci of the infection by using sensitive methods of specific diagnosis].

The use of specific sensitive methods for demonstration of hepatitis A markers has made it possible to detect 6 children with inapparent form of the disease among 86 subjects present in the focus of infection. Specific HAV antibody of the M class were detected in 100% of them. By radioimmunoassay, hepatitis A virus antigen (HAV-Ag) was detected in fecal extracts in 1 case only. Liver biopsy from 1 patient with inapparent disease showed typical morphological signs of acute hepatitis, and HAV-Ag was detected in the hepatocyte cytoplasm by immunofluorescence. Titres of specific antibody in convalescence varied from 1:10 to 1:800 in patients with the inapparent forms and from 1:200 to 1:3200 in manifest forms of hepatitis A.