Background
/ Aims : The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between histologic activity and fibrosis and the distribution of intrahepatic hepatitis B core antigen(HBcAg) and surface antigen(HBcAg ) inpatients with chronic hepatitis B . Methods : 141 patients(M:F=141:27) with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis B ,abnormal liver function, and a positive HBV viral marker(serum HBeAg , serum HBV DNA) were enrolled. Results : HBcAg was expressed in 96 of 141 patoents(68.1%), n HBcAg in 23(16.3%), c HBcAg in 58(41.25), and n-c HBcAg in 15(10.6%). In the cases of HBsAg, 114 of 141 patients(80.9%) were expressed as c HBsAg, 2(1.4%) as m HBsAg, and 16(11,3%) as m-c HBsAg. The presence of intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg according to gudat`s calssification was not correlated with activity and fibrosis. But the groups with nuckear expression of HBcAg revealed less inflammatory activity (grade, p=0.003), and less fibrotic stage(p=0.002) than with cytoplasmic or no expression of HBcAg. HBsAg was not. Conclusion : These observations suggest that inflammatory activity and fibrosis of chronic hepatitis B are related to the presence of HBcAg in hepatocytes and the expression of HBcAg. This is a very important finding in hepatocytolysis. (Korean J Hepatol 2001;7 :401- 412)
