HEPATITIS-B - SEROLOGICAL MARKERS OF DIAGNOSIS AND FOLLOW-UP

This paper is a short summary on the usefulness of two antigens (HBsAg and HBeAg), three antibodies (anti-HBc, anti-HBe and anti-HBs) and of HBV DNA, as markers for the diagnosis and the follow-up of hepatitis B. The significance of each of these markers at the various stages of disease history a few patterns of co-existence of some of these marker s and the occurence of mutations in the core and pre-core regions of t he genome are also described. The various indications for measuring HB V DNA, in addition to the classical serological markers, are also ment ioned.