Clinical and immunological aspects of hepatitis B virus infection in children with haematological malignancies.

143 patients with haematological malignancies were screened at the onset and during the disease for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the serum. HBsAg was found in serum of 38/143 patients (26.5%) in a mean period of 14.5 months after the diagnosis was established. The relationship between immunological status of the patients and the course of the infection was analyzed. In 17/38 patients who developed icteric hepatitis, the mean amounts of E-rosetting lymphocytes were significantly higher than in the anicteric hepatitis group and asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. These two groups of patients showed a tendency to persistence of HBsAg and developing of chronic carrier state or chronic hepatitis.