antigen andchronic persistent hepatitis inHodgkin's disease

(Australia) antigen (HAA)was detected intheseraof16(50%)of 33patients withHodgkin's disease; allofthese patients hadreceived thesame treatment forapproximately twoyears,andtheyhadbeenincomplete remission foratleast twoyears.TheHAA-positive patients hadsignificantly higher levels ofserum SGPT andsignificantly lowerbromsulphalein clearance thantheHAA-negative patients. Histological changes compatible witha diagnosis of chronic persistent hepatitis werefoundinthelivers of12ofthe16HAA-positive patients andinfive ofthe17HAA-negative patients (p< 0.05). In 128 patients withHodgkin's disease who had received various formsoftreatment andwhowerestudied atvarious stages ofremission, HAA was foundintheseraof42(33%).Tests forHAA repeated fourmonthslater inpositive reactors of bothgroupsshowedpersisting antigenaemia. Hepatitis-associated antigen was notpresent inthe seraofanyof36patients withHodgkin's disease studied whenthediagnosis wasfirst madeandbefore -treatment hadbegun. Theseobservations suggest thatpersistence ofHAA andthepresenceofchronic persistent hepatitis weremore likely toberelated tothetreatment thepatients hadreceived thanto thedisease itself.