Natural history of liver disease in chronic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers. Survey of 100 patients from Great Britain
Viola, L.A.; Barrison, I.G.; Coleman, J.C.; Paradinas, F.J.; Fluker, J.L.; Evans, B.A.; Murray-Lyon, I.M.
Lancet 2(8256): 1156-1159
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0140-6736 PMID: 6118590 Document Number: 181737
Of 100 consecutive British chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen seen in a London, England, teaching hospital, 77 were male homosexuals, only 19 had symptoms or signs of chronic liver disease, 27 had normal liver function tests and 69 had minimal changes, chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed on liver biopsy. Four patients did not have a biopsy but did have abnormal liver function tests. Chronic hepatitis B virus infection was an important cause of these conditions. Most patients showed no clinical, biochemicl or histological change during a mean follow-up period of 44 mo. and only 9.7% spontaneously seroconverted from hepatitis B e antigen positivity to become anti-hepatitis B e antibody carriers. Although the prognosis is good in the medium term, 7 patients died from hepatocellular carcinoma.