Existence of serum HBe antigen and expression of liver HB surface and core antigens in hepatitis type B patients.

A study of 52 liver biopsies (47 hepatitis type B and 5 asymptomatic carriers) was performed to clarify the roles of HBe antigen (HBeAg), HB surface antigen (HBsAg) and HB core antigen (HBcAg). In this study, the Gudat classification was modified so as to classify the patterns of HB antigens into six reaction types including: type O (negative for both liver HBsAg and liver HBcAg), type III-A (characterized by a spotty HBsAg pattern) and type III-B (characterized from a sub-lobular to lobular HBsAg localization pattern). This classification enabled accurate prediction of the prognosis of hepatitis. Patients with positive serum HBeAg had either minimal hepatitis with mild clinical features or chronic aggressive hepatitis with severe clinical features. Ten patients negative for both HBeAg and HBeAb were all positive for liver HBcAg. In all 3 patients on corticosteroid administrations liver tissue was markedly positive for HBcAg and serum was usually positive for HBeAb.