title: Oligoclonal immunoglobulins in serum of patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
abstract: Zone electrophoresis on agarose gel was performed in serum samples from patients with chronic viral hepatitis. On the basis of the clinical, serological, and biochemical evaluation, the patients were divided into three categories: chronic type B hepatitis; chronic type delta hepatitis; and chronic non-A-non-B (NANB) hepatitis. The results of the electrophoretic analysis showed a high incidence of oligoclonal immunoglobulin bands (OIBs) in patients with chronic B hepatitis and chronic delta hepatitis and a low incidence of OIBs in patients with NANB. Since other biochemical and serological characteristics are variable and do not correlate with clinical symptoms of disease, we suggest that oligoclonal immunoglobulins could be used as a marker to aid in studies of the natural history and pathologic course of the various types of chronic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Tsianos
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costello
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D043025:Oligoclonal Bands