[HBeAg and Anti-HBe in various groups of acute hepatitis patients and carriers of HBsAg].

Serial samples of serum from 44 patients with acute hepatitis B were examined by immunodiffusion for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and its antibody (anti-HBe). The antigen was detected in the serum of 5 (11.3%) of the patients and antibody in 12 (27.3%). Two patterns of events emerged during the study: a) HB-eAg was found only in the samples collected during the early acute phase of the illness but anti-HBe was not detectable at any time; b) HBeAg was not found during the acute illness but anti-HBe was detected 4 to 6 weeks after the onset of clinical jaundice, when the HBsAg was still present in the circulation and before the anti-HBs appearance. HBeAg was persistently found in the sera of 12 of 16 (75%) patients with chronic renal failure HBsAg long term carriers and anti-HBe in 2(12.5%). Anti-HBe was detected in 33(66%) of 50 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and HBeAg in only 1 (2%). Finally, HBeAg and anti-HBe were not detected in any of 15 patients with HBsAg negative acute hepatitis or fulminant failure and in any of 20 healthy individuals as control. Our observation confirms the specific association between e determinant and hepatitis B virus and suggests the correlation of HBeAg persistence with HBV infectivity and of anti-HBe with the asymptomatic carriage of surface antigen.