Chronic HBV infection is the main cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea. Hepatic flbrosis progresses as the duration of HBV infection prolongs therefore more advanced histologic findings are anticipated in patients with perinatally acquired HBV infection than in patients of the same age who acquired HBV otherwise. We are going to investigate the histologic findings of young adult patients with chronic hepatitis B with respect to maternal HBsAg status, duration of HBV possession and senun HBeAg starus and ALf levels.

A total of 96 HBsAg positive young adult male patients who visited our hospital forliver biopsy were enrolled and their histologic findings were analysed according to the standardcriteria. The medical records of the patients were reviewed and supplementary information weretaken via telephone interviews.

Hepatic inflammatory scores and fibrosis stages were increased as the serum ALf level increased. Histologic findings showed no significant differences according to the duration of HBV infection, serostatus of HBeAg, the number of HBsAg positive cells and matemal senun HBsAg status.

In young adult patients with chronic hepatitis 3, the hepatic histologic findings were worsen as the serum ALf level increased and associated with neither the HBeAg status of the patient nor the matemal HBsAg status.