title: Acute hepatitis B viral infection in a patient with anti-HBs.
abstract: We report a patient with antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) but no antibodies to other hepatitis B virus components, who developed acute symptomatic type B hepatitis. The possible explanations for this unusual serological pattern are 1) the antibody-positive status, which developed against only a subdeterminant of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), arose naturally or as the result of cross-reaction with a variety of antigens; and 2) seroconversion to anti-HBs occurred in response to surface antigen of a mutant strain of hepatitis B virus (HBV). This anti-HBs positivity, in the absence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, does not provide natural immunization against HBV infection, and so is not protective. Individuals who are positive to anti-HBs antibody alone which is not elicited by HBV vaccine, should be vaccinated against possible HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens