Investigations on HBe antigen. Note II. Dynamics of HBsAg in acute viral hepatitis, according to HBeAg persistence or seroconversion.

Serum samples collected at 10-day intervals from 146 patients with acute viral hepatitis were tested for the presence of HBsAg, HBeAg and anti-HBe. During an observation period of 4 months HBe system seroconversion occurred in 70.5% of the the patients; a persistence of HBeAG was recorded in the remaining cases. Lower values of HBsAg prevalence and a shorter persistence of this antigen were recorded in the patients with HBe system seroconversion as compared with those showing HBeAg persistence, and in female as against male patients.