title: Significance of isolated hepatitis B core antibodies detected by enzyme immunoassay in a high risk population.
abstract: Serum samples, which were found positive for anti-HBc and negative for HBsAg and anti-HBs during routine testing with Abbott enzyme immunoassays (EIA), were collected prospectively. The samples were obtained from patients with a high risk of hepatitis B. Further analysis was carried out using radioimmunoassays and tests for additional markers of hepatitis B. 84 of the 203 initially collected samples (41.4%) were found positive for anti-HBs by RIA. Of the 119 samples negative for anti-HBs by RIA, 103 were available for further investigation, and 35 (34.0%) of these were negative for anti-HBc by RIA. This indicates that low sensitivity of the anti-HBs EIA and non-specificity of the anti-HBc EIA may account for about 60% of the cases presenting with isolated anti-HBc at initial testing. Fifty-two samples positive for anti-HBc by RIA, with isolated anti-HBc confirmed after RIA testing for HBsAg and anti-HBs, were examined further: anti-HBe was detected in 16 sera, anti-HDV in one serum and HBV-DNA in 5 sera by PCR. Additional testing of serum samples with isolated anti-HBc is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Kroes
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Quint
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heijtink
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens