Natural history of chronic persistent hepatitis B. Relationship between hepatitis B virus replication and the course of the disease.

The status of viral replication at diagnosis and its relationship to the changes occurring during the natural history of the disease have been investigated in 26 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) type B. Liver HBcAg and serum HBeAg were found in 73% of patients. During follow-up, serum transaminases normalized in 13/17 HBeAg-positive patients 1-6 years after diagnosis and 11 of them developed anti-HBe. HBe seroconversion was closely preceded by a transient elevation of transaminases in 5 patients in whom a repeated liver biopsy showed prominent lobular hepatitis and marked reduction of liver HBcAg. Such changes resulted in long-lasting biochemical normalization but only 1 patient became HBsAg-negative. These observations indicate that prolonged viral replication occurs in type B CPH. Termination of replication frequently implies a transient worsening caused by lysis of HBcAg-containing hepatocytes which leads to inactivation of the disease and to development of a healthy HBsAg carrier state.