The in vitro incorporation of 3H-thymidine by liver tissue obtained using needle biopsy from 14 patients with acute hepatitis A virus (AHAV) in the fully developed and recovery stage of disease was studied by the autoradiographic technique. Marked incorporation in hepatocyte nuclei was observed in the biopsies of patients in the fully developed stage, while incorporation was absent in the recovery stage of the disease. Results show that hepatocyte regeneration begins early in the course of AHAV disease, during which signs of cellular suffering and necrosis are still present
