Detection of HBeAg in the lymphocytes of sero-HBeAg negative patients with chronic hepatitis B and primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

HBeAg has been detected in the peripheral lymphocytes of chronic hepatitis B patients who were seronegative for HBeAg. Nearly 50% of these patients (males, aged 41-66) had histology confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma while the normal carriers (males, aged 22-37) showed histological changes of chronic persistent or chronic active hepatitis. The HBeAg was also demonstrated in the lymphocytes of eight voluntary blood donors who were found to be seropositive for HBsAg and HBeAg. The lymphocyte HBeAg exists in two subentities; a soluble and a particulate form. These observations suggest that the peripheral blood lymphocytes are hosts for HBV replication and production of infectious virus particles. Such processes may lead to an impaired immune defence mechanism, and explain the chronicity of the disease, and hepatic oncogenesis.