Vyas G N, Blum H E
West J Med. 1984 May;140(5):754-62.
Among the three types of viral hepatitis agents-A, B and non-A, non-B-the hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been best characterized by immunologic and recombinant DNA technologies. The indefinite persistence of hepatitis B virus infection in 85% to 90% of perinatally infected infants and in about 10% of those infected later in life accounts for a worldwide epidemiologic reservoir of more than 200 million carriers who are at a high risk for the development of delta-infection, chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Active immunization with a safe and effective vaccine, derived from the plasma of carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), is envisaged to avoid viral hepatitis type B and its chronic sequelae. In addition to serologic and immunohistochemical markers of hepatitis B virus infection, hybridization assays using cloned HBV DNA have provided new insight into the biology of this virus, its persistence and its oncogenic potential in humans and in animal models. Genetic similarities have been recognized between HBV and the antigenically distinct non-A, non-B agents implicated in some cases of transfusion-associated chronic hepatitis. Structurally this unique group of HBV and HBV-like agents are DNA viruses with functional attributes of integration and replication analogous to the retroviruses.
在三种病毒性肝炎病原体——甲型、乙型和非甲非乙型肝炎病毒中，乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）通过免疫技术和重组DNA技术得到了最充分的研究。85%至90%的围产期感染婴儿以及约10%的成年后感染者中，乙型肝炎病毒感染会长期持续存在，这导致全球范围内有超过2亿携带者成为流行病学上的传染源，他们极易感染丁型肝炎病毒、发展为慢性肝病和肝细胞癌。人们设想，使用源自乙型肝炎表面抗原（HBsAg）携带者血浆的安全有效疫苗进行主动免疫，可预防乙型病毒性肝炎及其慢性后遗症。除了乙型肝炎病毒感染的血清学和免疫组织化学标志物外，使用克隆的HBV DNA进行杂交检测，为了解这种病毒的生物学特性、其持续性以及在人类和动物模型中的致癌潜力提供了新的视角。在某些输血相关慢性肝炎病例中涉及的抗原性不同的非甲非乙型病原体与HBV之间已发现基因相似性。从结构上看，这一独特的HBV及类HBV病毒群属于DNA病毒，具有类似于逆转录病毒的整合和复制功能特性。
