[Hepatopathies associated with chronic carriage of HBs antigen in black African immigrants in France].

The authors report two studies : 1) Retrospective : study of liver biopsies in 44 Africans : 22 were HBs Ag positive and 22 HBs Ag negative ; 10 of the HBs Ag positive subjects were found to have chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), 4 chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and 3 cirrhosis ; 2 of the HBs Ag negative subjects were found to have CPH and 3 CAH ; as far a biological findings are concerned, only the CAH and cirrhosis groups differed from the control group, with higher prothrombin times, transaminase levels and gammaglobulin levels. 2) Prospective : study of the incidence of HBs Ag carriage in 168 Africans ; 17.8 % of them were found to be carriers ; no correlation was found between HBs Ag carriage and S. haematobium schistosomiasis or hemoglobinopathies.