Detection of e antigen and antibody: correlations with hapatitis B surface and hepatitis B core antigens, liver disease, and outcome in hepatitis B infections.
Testing for e antigen and antibody (anti-e) was performed by immunodiffusion and counterelectrophoresis in patients with polyarteritis nodosa fulminant hepatitis, and chronic active hepatitis (CAH), in 59 asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) who underwent liver biopsy, and in 150 carriers followed with sequential SGPT determinations. Counterelectrophoresis was more sensitive that immunodiffusion. Neither e antigen nor anti-e was found in the absence of HBsAg. Among HCsAg-positive patients with polyarteritis nodosa and CAH, e antigen was found in 16 of 18 and 13 of 22, respectively. It was not found in any of 43 patients with fulminant hepatitis, of whom 24 were HBsAg-positive. The e antigen was detected in none of 13 biopsied carriers with normal histology, 4 of 28 with nonspecific changes of 11 of 18 with CAH or chronic persistent hepatitis. Conversely, anti-e was present in 9 of 13 with normal biopsy, 7 of 28 with nonspecific changes, and none of 18 with CAH or chronic persistent hepatitis. The e antigen was found more commonly in nonbiopsied carriers with elevated SGPT, and anti-e in those with normal SGPT. Six carriers whose antigenemia terminated spontaneously had anti-e. The presence of e antigen correlated with a high titer of HBsAg, and with immunofluorescent detection of hepatitis B core antigen in the nuclei of hepatocytes. Conversely, anti-e was associated with significantly lower titers of serum HBsAg (P less than 0.001) and lack of detectable hepatitis B core antigen in the liver.
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002353:Carrier State; D002908:Chronic Disease; D000939:Epitopes; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000382:microbiology; D011379:Prognosis
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D000410:Alanine Transaminase