Abstract.The persistence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), e antigen (HBeAg) and antibodies to e antigen (anti‐HBe) was studied retrospectively in 197 Finnish voluntary blood donors, who had been found positive for HBsAg by routine screening in 1970 or 1971. Two samples were available from each donor: the first was taken in 1970 or 1971 and the second in 1978; the average interval between the specimens was 7.6 years. All except one (99.5%) of the donors remained HBsAg carriers during the whole study period. HBeAg was detected initially in 3 (2%) cases, all of whom lost HBeAg after the follow‐up, and 2 converted to anti‐HBe‐positive. Anti‐HBe was found in the first samples of 158 (80%) HBsAg carriers, 154 (97%) of whom were still positive for anti‐HBe in the second samples. These results suggest that the HBsAg carrier stage is stable as for the presence of HBsAg a