[Significance of hepatitis B virus markers in children with acute and chronic hepatitis B in the familial spread of the infection].

Clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological examinations were carried out in 331 family members of 93 children with acute hepatitis B and 85 with chronic hepatitis B. Sensitive methods (passive hemagglutination test, radioimmunoassay, enzyme-immunoassay) were used for the detection of markers of hepatitis B virus: HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, and anti-HBe. Patients with chronic hepatitis B with prolonged HBs- and HBe-antigenemia were shown to play the main role in formation of the familial foci of HB virus infection, whereas the children with acute hepatitis B who, as a rule, had a short-time HBe-antigenemia, were of no great epidemiological importance for their family members.

[Markers of hepatitis B virus infection in infants born of mothers who are HBs-antigen carriers with anti-HBe present and the problems of passive immunoprophylaxis].

In December, 1983 to December, 1985, blood sera of 14,603 pregnant women were tested for the detection of HBsAg carriers among them. A low level (1.1%) of HBsAg carrier state was demonstrated.

[Characteristics of the transmission of hepatitis B virus infection to infants from their mothers--chronic HBsAg carriers with anti-HBe present].

A series of long-term prospective studies was carried out to investigate the possibilities and manifestations of perinatal infection in Moscow. The observations included 45 mothers, chronic carriers of HBsAg, and their 48 babies. In most of the mothers (31 out of 41), HBs antigenemia was accompanied by the presence of anti-HBe.

[Incidence of antibodies to the delta antigen in chronic hepatitis patients].

Elisa was used to study the rate of detection of antibodies to delta antigen in 74 patients with chronic HBsAg-positive hepatitis. These antibodies were found in 33.8% of the subjects examined including 60.

[Delta infection in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B].

The results of examination for anti-delta antibodies in the blood of 86 patients (33 children and 53 adults) with chronic persisting hepatitis (CPH) and chronic active hepatitis (CAH) verified by morphological examinations of liver biopsy specimens are presented. Delta infection was found in 43 (31.5%) of patients with CAH, only anti-HBe being demonstrable in the blood.