[Relation between viral antigens in hepatic tissue detected by immunofluorescence and serological markers of HBV infection in patients with chronic hepatitis].

In 21 subjects HBsAg positive affected by different forms of chronic hepatitis and in one carrier we compared the presence in the liver of HBsAg, HBcAg and delta studied by means of I.F. and the presence of serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection. By the I.F. test, HBsAg was present in all cases, HBcAg in 15 cases (71%), delta in 8 cases (38%). These percentages are almost the same as those of other researches in chronic hepatitis in immunodepressive treatment. About the serological markers, HBsAg and HBcAb were present in 100% of cases, while, regarding the e-anti e system, HBeAg was present in 12 cases (57%) and HBeAb in 7 (33%). In the work effected there is no relation between delta and HBeAg because in 50% of the positive delta subjects there was HBeAb. On the contrary HBcAg and HBeAg are strictly correlated. Therefore the antigens core and delta are not interdependent. We wanted to verify the existence of relation between HBcAg and HBeAg and came to the conclusion that this relation exists in 17 out of 21 subjects (81%). In our researches is clear the long persistence of the hepatic antigens without any connection with the time of treatment and the course of the various chronic hepatitis. The change in the serum from HBeAg to HBeAb occurred in many improved cases but not in all of them. We presume that the long immunodepressive treatment (about 4 years) has influenced our results.