RADIOIMMUNOASSAY OF HEPATITIS B ANTIGEN AND ANTIBODY IN DIALYSIS AND TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

57 dialysis patients, 29 of whom had been exposed to hepatitis in 1968-69, were re-examined for hepatitis B antigen (HB-Ag) and antibody (HB-Ab) by means of radioimmunoassay (RIA) and counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE). Infected patients were followed for five years. Compared to CIE, RIA did not detect additional HB-Ag-positive patients, but antibody could persistently be detected in seven out of fifteen patients previously supposed to have escaped infection. Nine surviving HB-Ag-positive transplant patients remained carriers for 50–72 months. None developed clinical signs of chronic hepatic failure.