Aquisition Of Hepatitis-Associated Antigen

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Twelve participants in studies on inactivation of the agent of serum hepatitis in blood and blood products, which were conducted in 1951 to 1954, became persistent carriers of the Australia or hepatitis-associated antigen (HAA). In eight of the 12, their inoculation with various icterogenic materials resulted in illness of minimal severity. Four others had no recognizable clinical illness. Of the 12, ten had follow-up examinations from one to three years later, and all were thought to have either probable or definite evidence of minimal residual hepatic dysfunction at that time. This group of 12 differs from 103 individuals in whom transient serum HAA developed. Most members of the latter group had more severe initial illness, but only 16 of 72 were thought to have evidence of residual hepatic dysfunction on follow-up examination.