DETECTION OF HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-DNA BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION IN SERUM AND LIVER OF CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B NEGATIVE FOR HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-DNA BY CONVENTIONAL HYBRIDIZATION TESTS

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in the serum of 87 and liver tissue of 40 children with chronic hepatitis B, negative for HBV DNA by dot blot and Southern blot hybridization, respectively. In sera HBV DNA could be detected in 73 hepatitis B surface antigen carriers; 14 were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), 56 were anti-HBe-seropositive and 3 had neither HBeAg nor positive anti-HBe. In 14 anti-HBe-positive patients no HBV DNA could be found. Viral sequences in liver tissue were present in 33 specimens; 20 were HBeAg and 13 were anti-HBe-seropositive. All of the 7 negative children had anti-HBe. Our results confirm polymerase chain reaction to be a more sensitive method to detect HBV DNA in the liver compared with conventional hybridization techniques. Every HBeAg-positive carrier as well as the majority of anti-HBe-positive patients show ongoing viral replication. This is of special clinical relevance, because these children must be considered infectious.