Antibodies to the RNase H domain of hepatitis B virus P protein are associated with ongoing viral replication.
Antibodies against the RNase H domain of human hepatitis B virus P protein(s) are frequent markers of acute and chronic virus infection (T. Weimer, K. Weimer, Z.-X. Tu, M.-C. Jung, G. R. Pape, and H. Will, J. Immunol. 143:3750-3756, 1989). In the present study, these antibodies were determined in serial serum samples of experimentally infected chimpanzees and naturally infected human patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Anti-P antibodies were found in the sera of both chimpanzees and humans early in infection shortly after the immunoglobulin M anti-HBc response; they persisted in chronic carriers with ongoing viral replication but declined and disappeared at the time of virus clearance from the sera. These data demonstrate that antibodies to the RNase H domain of the hepatitis B virus P protein are early markers of infection and a signal of ongoing virus replication. Falling titers indicate the decline or end of active virus production and may therefore be a prognostic sign of virus elimination in natural infection and after antiviral therapy.
Weimer
T
T
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried, Federal Republic of Germany.
Schödel
F
F
Jung
M C
MC
Pape
G R
GR
Alberti
A
A
Fattovich
G
G
Beljaars
H
H
van Eerd
P M
PM
Will
H
H
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000276:immunology*; D015684:Gene Products, pol; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D016914:Ribonuclease H; D013997:Time Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014779:Virus Replication
D015684:Gene Products, pol; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; C066027:P protein, Hepatitis B virus; D014764:Viral Proteins; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D016914:Ribonuclease H