Hepatitis B e antigen and infectivity of hepatitis B virus.
For confirmation of the difference in the infectivity of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBS Ag)-positive serum according to differences in the e antigen system, four chimpanzees were inoculated with serum positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBe Ag), and three chimpanzees were inoculated with serum positive for antibody to HBe Ag (anti-HBe). Since the infectivity titrations are not yet completed, the end infectivity titer of each serum is not known. All four chimpanzees given injections of 10(-1), 10(-4), or 10(-8) dilutions of HBe Ag-positive serum developed hepatitis B virus infection, whereas the one chimpanzee injected with undiluted anti-HBe-positive serum became infected, and other chimpanzees injected with diluted anti-HBe-positive sera did not. As judged from the length of the incubation period before appearance of HBS Ag in blood, there seemed to be a remarkable difference in infectivity between the HBe Ag-positive serum and the anti-HBe-positive serum; the former serum was 10(8) times more infectious than the latter.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens