Significance of anti-pre-S antibodies in patients with fulminant hepatic failure.
Anti-pre-S antibody was tested in 38 sera from patients with fulminant hepatitis (positive for HBsAg and/or IgM anti-HBc) using a specific solid phase enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-pre-S activity was detected in 50 percent sera samples positive for HBsAg but negative for IgM anti-HBc. There were 12.5% sera positive for both HBsAg as well as IgM anti-HBc and 75% sera negative for HBsAg but positive for IgM anti-HBc. The prevalence of HBV-specific DNA-polymerase activity was high in all the three groups whereas anti-HBs positivity was low. Anti-pre-S activity was observed both in the presence as well as in the absence of DNA-polymerase activity. High-anti-pre-S level in fulminant hepatitis B patients was assumed to be implicated in the fast clearance of HBsAg from circulation.
Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, All india Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
M
M
Irshad
B M
BM
Gandhi
S K
SK
Acharya
Y K
YK
Joshi
B N
BN
Tandon
D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; 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