Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in chronic active hepatitis.
Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), which has been assumed to be a more sensitive indicator of hepatitis B virus replication than hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), was detected in the sera of 26 of our 65 patients with HBsAg-negative chronic active hepatitis. Thus despite the absence of HBsAg the liver disease could be the consequence of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus in these patients. They differed, however, from a group of 35 patients with HBsAg-positive hepatitis in being older on average and having less active liver lesions. The two groups could represent either two stages of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus or two types of response to it.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens