title: Immunoglobulin M anti-hepatitis A virus determination reorienting gradient centrifugation for diagnosis of Acute Hepatitis A.
abstract: The persistence of antibody to hepatitis A antigen (anti-HAV) of the immunoglobulin M (IgM) class was evaluated in 88 sera of 51 acute hepatitis A patients. IgM was separated from IgG by a 2-h reorienting sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation, and the titer of anti-HAV was determined in the IgG- and IgM-containing fractions by solid-hase radioimmunoassay. IgM anti-HAV was the predominating antibody at onset of jaundice and persisted in these patients for at least 60 days, but not longer than 115 days. The demonstration of IgM anti-HAV is therefore a valuable tool for the diagnosis of recent hepatitis A infection.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M