Forty-six patients with liver biopsy-documented
chronic hepatitis B were followed for a mean period of 44 months. A total of 200 serum samples from these patients was analyzed for the presence of hepatitis B virus
DNA (HBV-
DNA). The results were correlated to the
HBeAg/anti-HBe status and to the presence of anti-delta as a marker for
delta superinfection. In the initial serum samples HBV-
DNA was detected in the vast majority of the patients independent of the
HBeAg/anti-HBe results and whether the patients were superinfected by delta agent or not. During the complete follow-up period, HBV-
DNA was detected in 88% of those patients who were positive for
HBeAg, irrespective of the presence or absence of a simultaneous
delta infection. When anti-HBe positive, 79% of the patients with anti-delta had detectable HBV-
DNA in their sera, while only 43% of those negative for anti-delta were positive for HBV-
DNA. The results indicate a high prevalence of virus release into the blood of patients with
chronic hepatitis B, especially among patients positive for
HBeAg and among those anti-HBe positive patients who have a
delta superinfection.