title: Correlation of preS antigens and clinical status during chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: The serum kinetics of preS1 and preS2 antigens has been evaluated in 38 serial samples from eight patients with chronic active (CAH) or chronic persistent (CPH) hepatitis, followed for 2-7 years (mean 4.4 years) in whom liver biopsy was performed at intervals, and in 46 samples from ten asymptomatic HBsAg carriers followed for 4-5 years (mean 4.6 years). Four patterns of preS behaviour have been observed: (1) persistently positive preS1 and preS2; (2) disappearance of preS2; (3) disappearance of both preS1 and preS2; and (4) persistently negative preS1 and preS2. Pattern 4 has been observed exclusively among healthy carriers, while seven out of eight chronic patients exhibited either pattern 1 or 2. Among the chronic patients, preS2 disappearance was accompanied or followed by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization. The correlation of preS antigens with conventional viral replication markers showed that 100% of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA-positive and 86.6% of HBeAg-positive sera were preS1/preS2 positive, while 61% of HBV-DNA-negative and 64% of HBeAg-negative sera were preS1/preS2 negative. Our data suggest that continuous monitoring of preS antigens in follow-up sera will allow for an improved prognostic evaluation of chronic HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Diseases, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taliani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rapicetta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Francisci
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarrecchia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Bac
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stagni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C050806:presurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigen; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen