Duration of hepatitis B surface antigenemia (HBs Ag) in hemodialysis patients.

Follow-up studies were done on 231 hemodialysis patients during a period of from one to 48 months to determine the natural history of hepatitis B surface antigenemia (HBs Ag). Of those studied, 113 (49%) exhibited HBs Ag. The probability of remaining HBs Ag positive over the mean follow-up period of 14.4 months was 62%. All of the 38 patients whose HBs Ag reverted to negative did so within ten months. Those patients whose HBs Ag reverted to negative had SGOT levels that were less frequently elevated than the patients with persistent antigenemia. Of hemodialysis patients with HBs Ag, 60% showed e antigen (HBe Ag).