[Fall in serum complement prior to manifestation of hepatitis B in patients on chronic haemodialysis (author's transl)].

Haemolytic complement activity was measured in a long-term study in patients on haemodialysis. Four of the patients studied developed hepatitis B while under investigation. In all four patients a fall in haemolytic complement activity was observed one to three months before hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in the serum. The fall in complement activity also occurred prior to a rise in transaminase. The maximum fall averaged 27%.