[Expression of Pre-S1 and Pre-S2 in serum of patients with chronic type B hepatitis]

To study the expression of Pre-S1 and Pre-S2 and gene-encoded proteins of the hepatitic B virus, we investigated serum from 11 patients with chronic type B hepatitis in various phases, Pre-S1 and Pre-S2 proteins were detected by the monoclonal antibody-based enzyme method, the markers of active viral replication were determined with the presence of HBV-DNA and HBeAg. It was found that Pre-S1 was present in the serum of 3 patients with viral replication as well as of 6 out of 8 cases with no evidence of viral replication, Pre-S2 in the serum of 2 out of 3 patients with active viral replication as well as 4 out of 8 cases with no evidence of viral replication. The similar results also appeared in patient's serum in various phases. The data suggest that there is no correlation between the presence of the Pre-S1 or Pre-S2 proteins and active viral replication during the course of chronic type B hepatitis.