[Newer knowledge on viral hepatitis (author's transl)]

After the discovery of the "australia antigen" the pioneering pace for the detection of the socalled "Dane-particles" identical with the complete infectious hepatitis-B-virus has been done. These Dane-Particles consist of three different antigens: HBsAg, HBcAg and HBeAg and these specific antigens give valuable diagnostic and prognostic indications predominantly concerning the infectivity of a person suffering from acute or chronic hepatitis B or of a person identified as a chronic carrier. This has impact on blood transfusion services and is of considerable significance for persons being in close contact with a carrier--particularly if he is representing a socalled "core type", whereas the infectivity of the "surface type" carrier is thought to be very low. In the past years important advances could be performed in the study of the hepatitis A. A number of serologic tests have been developed including the determination of the IgM--antibody enabling us a precise diagnosis of the acute period of hepatitis A. Finally the exact differentiation between hepatitis A and hepatitis B revealed the presence of a third type of viral hepatitis, characterized for the present as "Non A non B hepatitis". Just now a radioimmunoassay could be developed for detection of the corresponding antigens of this disease, called now hepatitis C. Meanwhile at least two different clinical entities could be observed. Normal human immunoglobulin may prevent or attenuate an infection with hepatitis A--probably with hepatitis C too. It appears that specific hepatitis B hyperimmunoglobulin with high antibody-titers is useful for post-exposure prophylaxis of single acute exposures. Considerable progress is being made in the development of subunit vaccines against hepatitis B for active prophylaxis, but for general application some scruples still exist.