The Australia antigen was sought in patients during childhood who had acute viral hepatitis, neonatal hepatitis, chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. The incidence of positive tests for the Au-antigen in viral hapatitis was 36.2%; in neonatal hepatitis, 33.3%; in chronic hepatitis, 60%; and in cirrhosis, 41.3%, as determined by the complement-fixation technique. Some of these positive patients were found to be Au-antigen negative by the immunodiffusion test. Different Au-antigen percentages were encountered in these diseases and statistical test results seemed to be insignificant. Au-antigen is much higher in acute viral hepatitis and in chronic liver disease than in healthy control groups and patients with other kinds of liver pathology. A much higher proportion of patients (44.8%) with cirrhosis have had a past history of hepatitis or jaundice. It would seem that the Au-antigen carrier state plays an important role in the etiology and pathogenesis of most forms of chronic liver diseases.

Our study also confirmed that complement-fixation is more sensitive than immunodiffusion for detection of the Au-antigen.