title: Long-term immune reactivity to pre-S(2)-antigen after acute hepatitis B infection.
abstract: We investigated sera from 39 patients, taken 1-8 years after recovery from acute hepatitis B for anti-pre-S(2) by Western blotting and for anti-HBs by radioimmunoassay. Anti-pre-S(2) antibodies were found in 27 out of 39 sera (69%) with the highest frequency in sera with anti-HBs greater than 100 IU/I (92%). However, sometimes sera with low anti-HBs titres showed a strong response in Western blotting. Acute hepatitis sera were also investigated from a limited number of patients (n = 14). Anti-pre-S(2) antibodies were found during antigenaemia (four out of six patients) and within 3 months after the maximum of alanine amino transferase (ALAT) (seven out of ten patients). Anti-pre-S(2) is an early antibody. It remains in the circulation for many years similar to but independent of anti-HBs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heijtink
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: de Wilde
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Hattum
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Schalm
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen