Application of a screening test for antibody the hepatitis B core antigen.
Hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) was prepared from human liver tissue and used in an immunoelectro-osmophoresis screening test to detect antibody to HBcAg (anti-HBc) in patients with evidence of liver disease and in blood donors. With the exception of two immunosuppressed HBsAg carriers, anti-HBc was found in all cases of hepatitis B infection even when HBsAg was detectable only by radioimmunoassay. Non-specific reactions were observed in 'non-B' hepatitis but, in spite of this problem, antib-HBc screening was considered a useful addition to routine tests in the clinical hepatitis laboratory.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001782:Blood Donors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens