ROLE OF HEPATITIS-B SURFACE-ANTIGEN IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF GLOMERULOPATHIES

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 12  (3) , 109-116
Abstract
The frequency of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was studied in the sera and renal biopsies of 276 patients with various forms of glomerulonephritis (GN), the nephrotic syndrome and other nephropathies. Using a modified Hepanosticon method, HBs antigenemia was detected in 32 of 196 patients (16.3%) with immune complex (IC) GN and the nephrotic syndrome. Indirect immunofluorescence revealed HBsAg in 33 renal biopsy tissue specimens (16.8%). HBsAg was found in the sera of 4 of the 80 remaining patients with other renal diseases (5%) and in the renal biopsy tissues of another 4 (5%). Antibody against HBsAg could only be demonstrated in the serum of 1 glomerulonephritic patient. The sera of 18,799 normal blood donors were used as controls; of these 186 (0.99%) had positive tests for HBsAg. In some patients with GN and the nephrotic syndrome, HBsAg-containing IC may be implicated in the development and/or progression of the disease.