[Light microscopic determination of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in liver biopsy material from adults and...

Occurrence of the hepatitis B surface antigen in the paraffin-embedded sections of needle-hepatic-biopsy taken for diagnostic purpose from 138 patients (108 adults and 30 children) and from 52 simptomless hepatitis B antigen positive donors was investigated (modified orcein dye, "ground glass" hepatocytes). The following was established: I. this technique is simple, reliable and useful; 2. antigen can be detected first of all in hepatocytes of simptomless carriers; 3. it seems, that the antigen-positivity in tissue is in inverse ratio to the activity of hepatic lesion; 4. in the material taken from the children ground-glass hepatoyctes could not be revealed. Only in one case could be revealed a minimal orcein-positivity. 5. By technical reasons in needle-biopsy material a false-negative result can not be regarded as a rarity.