Korean J Gastroenterol.  2001 Dec;38(6):419-426.

Histologic and Clinical Manifestation in HBV - bDNA Negative Chronic HBsAg Carrier

• Roh BJ
• Lee SH
• Han SH
• Cho SC
• Sohn JH
• Lee DH
• Kee CS

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is common in Korea that young men carry HBV-bDNA (branched chain DNA) negative chronic HBsAg, regardless of abnormal aminotransferases. However, histologic findings of these patients were not well-known. The authors studied histologic characteristics of hepatitis activity in these patients and assessed the correlations of aminotransferases and the histologic characteristices of hepatitis activity/fibrosis.
METHODS
Routine biochemical liver function tests were performed for the 29 young male HBV-bDNA negative chronic HBsAg carriers. Their histologic hepatitis activity/fibrosis was scored.
RESULTS
Ninety percent of the patients showed chronic inflammation at liver biopsy, whereas 80% of the parents who had normal aminotransferase showed chronic inflammatory feature in spite of their HBV-bDNA negativity. A significant correlation was found between the levels of aminotransferases and histologic hepatitis activity (lobular activity and portoperiportal activity). The patients with abnormal aminotransferase revealed the higher grade activity than the patients with normal aminotransferase in lobular activity and portoperiportal activity.
CONCLUSIONS
Most of young male HBV-bDNA negative chronic HBsAg carriers show the histologic characteristics of chronic hepatitis. Some patients could be recovered, but others may show viral replication during their clinical course.

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens*
Hepatitis, Chronic
Humans
Inflammation
Korea
Liver
Liver Function Tests
Male
Parents
Transaminases
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Transaminases