PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Munck, L K
AU  - Petersen, C S
AU  - Bech, K
AU  - Thomsen, A C
AU  - Kroon, S
AU  - Worm, A M
AU  - Wantzin, G L
AU  - Gerstoft, J
TI  - Hepatitis B in symptomless Danish homosexual men.
AID  - 10.1136/sti.64.1.39
DP  - 1988 Feb 01
TA  - Genitourinary Medicine
PG  - 39--42
VI  - 64
IP  - 1
4099  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/64/1/39.short
4100  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/64/1/39.full
SO  - Genitourin Med1988 Feb 01; 64
AB  - Forty eight symptomless homosexual men attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and found by screening to have hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were followed up for a median of 10 (range six to 26) months to characterise their liver disease. Initially 33/50 (66%) of the men had increased serum liver enzyme activity and 19/47 (40%) had increased serum immunoglobulin G concentrations. Liver biopsy specimens showed acute hepatitis B in 12 (39%) and chronic hepatitis B in 19 (61%) of the 31 patients who underwent liver biopsy. The course of the infection was: acute hepatitis B in 14/48 (29%), chronic persistent hepatitis B in 23/48 (48%), chronic aggressive hepatitis B in 8/48 (17%), and cirrhosis in 3/48 (6%) of the patients. Antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were present in 16/45 (36%) of the patients, but the presence of antibodies to HIV did not influence the course of hepatitis B in the observation period.