title: Serological pattern of hepatitis B virus markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs, IgM anti-HBc and HBV specific DNA polymerase) in leprosy patients.
abstract: Sera of 134 lepromatous (LL/BL) and 57 tuberculoid (TT/BT) leprosy patients were analysed for four HBV markers. HBsAg was detected in 6.71% of lepromatous and 3.5% of tuberculoid sera. The per cent positivity of lepromatous and tuberculoid sera for anti-HBs antibodies was 30.59% and 35.08%, respectively. The positivity of normal sera for HBsAg and anti-HBs was 3.60% and 21.69%, respectively. The difference in the positivity of three groups of sera (lepromatous, tuberculoid and normal) for HBsAg or anti-HBs was not statistically significant. Anti-HBc (IgM) antibodies were detected in 6% of lepromatous sera. HBV-specific DNA-polymerase activity was found in 22.22% of HBsAg positive (but anti-HBc negative) sera, and 66.66% of anti-HBc positive (but HBsAg negative) sera. The pattern of acute HBV infection in leprosy patients followed the typical pattern prevalent in the normal population.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Moudgil
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irshad
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mishra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase