title: Early diagnosis of Hepatitis B by Dane particle associated DNA polymerase assay.
abstract: We have studied prospectively 178 subjects exposed to hepatitis B and 120 haemodialysed patients for the presence of HGs antigen, e antigen and DNA polymerase as well as for anti-HBs and anti-HBc antibodies. The results suggest that the DNA polymerase assay enables us to diagnose hepatitis B earlier than the radioimmunoassay for HGs and that DNA polymerase might be present in the blood in the absence of HBs in cases of confirmed hepatitis B. A posititive correlation between e antigen and DNA polymerase was observed in 83% of the patients on haemodialysis who developed hepatitis B but only in 9% of normal patients developing the same disease.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase