Abstract

• Vial serologic markers for hepatitis B virus infection are known as HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and anti-HBe, and also recently IgM class antibodies are measurable for both hepatitis A and B. Five serologic markers for hepatitis B virus infection were measured routinely in patients with acute and chronic liver diseases and IgM class antibodies were evaluated in patients with acute viral hepatitis. The results were as follows: 1) Men are more frequently affected than women in chronic liver diseases and as the disease progressed to chronic diseases, the mean ages of patients increased. 2) Positivities of HBsAg were 79.7% in acute viral hepatitis, 88.9% in chronic hepatitis, 47.2% in cirrhosis and 72.0% in primary liver cancer respectively. 3) In forty cases of acute viral hepatitis, IgM anti-HBe was positive in two HBsAg negative cases and negative in three HBsAg positive cases. 4) Anti-HBc was positive in majority of various liver diseases and appeared usually with HBsAg or anti-HBs,but sigly positive in minority of patients. 5) Positivities of HBeAg in HBsAg positive liver diseases were 68.1% in acute viral hepatitis, 75.0% in chronic hepatitis, 41.2% in cirrhosis and 61.1% in primary liver cancer respectively.