title: HBsAg carrier infants with serum anti-HBc negativity.
abstract: A total of 128 HBsAg carrier infants born to HBeAg-positive HBsAg carrier mothers were tested for serum HBsAg, HBeAg, hepatitis B virus DNA and anti-HBc. Ninety-three of them had received hepatitis B vaccination. Anti-HBc had been found to be negative in sera of 12 infants who were HBsAg, HBeAg and hepatitis B virus DNA positive during the follow-up period of 3 to 5 years. Liver damage, as measured by serum ALT levels, was found to be normal among the 12 HBsAg carrier infants with serum anti-HBc negativity, whereas 39.7% of the 116 anti-HBc-positive HBsAg carrier infants had abnormal ALT levels during the follow-up period. Anti-HBe and anti-HBs also were not detected in sera of these anti-HBc-negative HBsAg carrier infants. Thus, HBsAg carrier infants with anti-HBc negativity probably result from immune incompetency of the hepatitis B virus antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines