RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOLECULAR-STATE OF SERUM HBV-DNA AND CLINICAL-FEATURES OF HEPATITIS-B VIRUS CARRIERS

Molecular species of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA in HBV carriers were classified by Southern blot hybridization into three types; type I with two bands of 4.0 kb and 3.2 kb, type II with the two bands of type I plus the smear between 4.0 kb and 3.2 kb, and type III with a b road band below 4.0 kb. A total of 51 HBV carriers were classified int o three groups (group I, n = 19 with type I; group II, n = 12 with typ e II; and group III, n = 20 with type III). Serum aminotransferase lev els of group I were significantly lower than those of groups II and II I. Liver pathology revealed that 18 of the 19 (94.7%) group I patients showed nonspecific reactive hepatitis (NSRH), while 11 of the 12 (91. 7%) group II patients and 19 of the 20 (95.0%) group III patients show ed chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) or chronic active hepatitis (CAH ). Immunohistochemical study showed that hepatitis B core antigen (HBc Ag) was localized in the nucleus of hepatocytes in most of patients wi th type I while it was localized in both the nucleus and cytoplasm in those with types II and III. Since the smear between 4.0 kb and 3.2 kb is specifically found in groups II and III, HBV-DNA with this smear m ay be related to active hepatitis.