Skip to main content
PMC home page
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases logoLink to Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
. 1982 Oct;41(5):479–482. doi: 10.1136/ard.41.5.479

Hepatitis B virus infection in patients with rheumatic diseases.

H Permin, J Aldershvile, J O Nielsen
PMCID: PMC1001026  PMID: 6127059

Abstract

Two hundred and thirty-nine patients with different rheumatic diseases were investigated for serological markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. An increased prevalence of anti-HBs was found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The total prevalence of HBV markers in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica, temporal arteritis, juvenile and adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis was not significantly different from age-matched controls. Remarkably, 6 patients were HBsAg-positive of whom 3 had RA (4%). Two patients with RA were "healthy' HBsAg carriers. The third patient had circulating HBeAg as well and had shown progression from acute hepatitis to cirrhosis during the time of observation. Three of 18 patients with polyarteritis nodosa were HBsAg- and HBeAg-positive, and all 3 were young men. Clinical improvement was seen in one of these patients and was associated with seroconversion from HBeAg to anti-HBe. Our data do not support the theory that HBV is an aetiological factor in rheumatic diseases except in some cases of polyarteritis nodosa.

Full text

PDF
479

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aldershvile J., Brock A., Dietrichson O., Hardt F., Juhl E., Madsbad S., Mathiesen L., Matzen P., Nielsen J. O., Schlichting P. Hepatitis B virus infections among Danish dentists. J Infect Dis. 1978 Jan;137(1):63–66. doi: 10.1093/infdis/137.1.63. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aldershvile J., Caspani B., Frösner G. G. Hepatitis B e antibody determination: comparison and evaluation of four different methods. J Clin Microbiol. 1980 May;11(5):458–461. doi: 10.1128/jcm.11.5.458-461.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Aldershvile J., Frösner G. G., Nielsen J. O., Hardt F., Deinhardt F., Skinhøj P. Hepatitis B e antigen and antibody measured by radioimmunoassay in acute hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hepatitis. J Infect Dis. 1980 Mar;141(3):293–298. doi: 10.1093/infdis/141.3.293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Aldershvile J., Nielsen J. O., Dietrichson O., Hardt F., Juhl E., Tage-Jensen U. Long-term follow-up of e-antigen (HBeAg)-positive acute viral hepatitis. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1979;14(7):845–848. doi: 10.3109/00365527909181414. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bacon P. A., Doherty S. M., Zuckerman A. J. Hepatitis-B antibody in polymyalgia Rheumatica. Lancet. 1975 Sep 13;2(7933):476–478. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)90547-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bohan A., Peter J. B. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis (first of two parts). N Engl J Med. 1975 Feb 13;292(7):344–347. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197502132920706. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bridgeford P. H., Lowenstein M., Bocanegra T. S., Vasey F. B., Germain B. F., Espinoza L. R. Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: histocompatibility typing and hepatitis-B infection studies. Arthritis Rheum. 1980 Apr;23(4):516–518. doi: 10.1002/art.1780230417. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Drüeke T., Barbanel C., Jungers P., Digeon M., Poisson M., Brivet F., Trecan G., Feldmann G., Crosnier J., Bach J. F. Hepatitis B antigen-associated periarteritis nodosa in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis. Am J Med. 1980 Jan;68(1):86–90. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(80)90170-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Elling H., Skinhøj P., Elling P. Hepatitis B virus and polymyalgia rheumatica: a search for HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb, HBeAg, and HBeAb. Ann Rheum Dis. 1980 Oct;39(5):511–513. doi: 10.1136/ard.39.5.511. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gocke D. J., Hsu K., Morgan C., Bombardieri S., Lockshin M., Christian C. L. Association between polyarteritis and Australia antigen. Lancet. 1970 Dec 5;2(7684):1149–1153. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)90339-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hawkes R. A., Boughton C. R., Schroeter D. R., Decker R. H., Overby L. R. Hepatitis B infection in institutionalized Down's syndrome inmates: a longitudinal study with five hepatitis B virus markers. Clin Exp Immunol. 1980 Jun;40(3):478–486. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kirk A. P., Jain S., Pocock S., Thomas H. C., Sherlock S. Late results of the Royal Free Hospital prospective controlled trial of prednisolone therapy in hepatitis B surface antigen negative chronic active hepatitis. Gut. 1980 Jan;21(1):78–83. doi: 10.1136/gut.21.1.78. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. London W. T., Di Figlia M., Sutnick A., Blumberg B. S. An epidemic of hepatitis in a chronic-hemodialysis unit. Australia antigen and differences in host response. N Engl J Med. 1969 Sep 11;281(11):571–578. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196909112811101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mihas A. A., Kirby J. D., Kent S. P. Hepatitis B antigen and polymyositis. JAMA. 1978 Jan 16;239(3):221–222. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Morris E. L., Stevens M. B. Rheumatoid arthritis--a sequel to HBsAg hepatitis. Am J Med. 1978 May;64(5):859–862. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(78)90528-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Plouvier B., Wattre P., Devulder B. HBs Ag in superficial artery of patient with polymyalgia rheumatica. Lancet. 1978 Apr 29;1(8070):932–933. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)90703-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. ROPES M. W., BENNETT G. A., COBB S., JACOX R., JESSAR R. A. 1958 Revision of diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. Bull Rheum Dis. 1958 Dec;9(4):175–176. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Realdi G., Alberti A., Rugge M., Bortolotti F., Rigoli A. M., Tremolada F., Ruol A. Seroconversion from hepatitis B e antigen to anti-HBe in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Gastroenterology. 1980 Aug;79(2):195–199. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Runyon B. A., LaBrecque D. R., Anuras S. The spectrum of liver disease in systemic lupus erythematosus. Report of 33 histologically-proved cases and review of the literature. Am J Med. 1980 Aug;69(2):187–194. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(80)90378-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Skinhoj P. Epidemiology of hepatitis B antigen and antibody in hospital patients in Copenhagen. Scand J Infect Dis. 1975;7(2):85–89. doi: 10.3109/inf.1975.7.issue-2.02. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Skinhöj P., Nielsen J. O., Dietrichson O. Serological evidence of hepatitis B infection in patients with chronic liver diseases: radioimmunoassay of HBsAg and anti-HBs. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1977;12(5):615–619. doi: 10.3109/00365527709181343. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Trepo C. G., Zucherman A. J., Bird R. C., Prince A. M. The role of circulating hepatitis B antigen/antibody immune complexes in the pathogenesis of vascular and hepatic manifestations in polyarteritis nodosa. J Clin Pathol. 1974 Nov;27(11):863–868. doi: 10.1136/jcp.27.11.863. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES