The Window Period Between Hepatitis B e Antigen and Antibody in Chronic Type B Hepatitis
Yun‐Fan Liaw, Miau‐Ju Huang, Chia‐Ming Chu, I‐Shyan Sheen, Deng‐Yn Lin – 1 July 1984 – To examine the period between disappearance of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and appearance of anti‐HBe, 48 patients with clinicopathologically verified chronic B hepatitis were followed every 1 to 3 months after HBeAg clearance. Sera were tested by radioimmunoassay for HBeAg and anti‐HBe. Anti‐HBe appeared in days to years, mostly (78.7%) within 1 year, after disappearance of HBeAg. Only 40.5% of patients had an “e‐window” shorter than 1 month.