[Delayed hypersensitivity to the surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus]

Delayed hypersensitivity to HBsAg in patients with viral hepatitis, chronic liver diseases and in healthy persons was determined in the leukocyte migration inhibition test in agar. Most of the patients with viral hepatitis B (61.7%) at the acute stage showed hypersensitivity to HBsAg. This hypersensitivity appeared not earlier than during the second or third decade of the disease. The positive results of the leukocyte migration inhibition test in some patients with chronic liver diseases indicated that these diseases were probably etiologically linked with hepatitis B virus. The use of the leukocyte migration inhibition test with HBsAg for the diagnosis of viral hepatitis B is proposed.