[Risk of development of hepatitis B virus infection among alcoholics].

The frequency of incidence of positive serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection among a population of alcoholics in the region of Białystok has been analysed. It was demonstrated that the highest frequency of detection of hepatitis B virus infection appears in a group of patients with post-alcoholic liver cirrhosis (60 percent). Acute virus hepatitis of the B type in alcoholics is characterised by a tendency towards retarded seroconversion of HBe antigen to HBe antibody with a subsequent development of chronic infection and liver cirrhosis.