title: Detection of serum hepatitis B virus DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis using the polymerase chain reaction assay.
abstract: We compared the sensitivity of the polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) assay to that of slot-blot hybridization for detecting hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the serum of 31 patients with chronic hepatitis. Of 14 chronic hepatitis patients positive for both HBV surface and HBV e antigens, 9 were positive for HBV DNA by slot-blot hybridization and all 14 by PCR. Also, of 9 patients positive for HBV surface antigen and antibody against HBV e antigen, 2 were positive for HBV DNA by slot-blot analysis and 8 by PCR. Finally, in 8 patients positive for HBV DNA by slot-blot hybridization, but 4 were positive by PCR. We find that analysis by the PCR technique provides a greater than 10(4)-fold increase in sensitivity over the slot-blot hybridization assay. This result represents an important breakthrough in sensitivity because it is now possible to detect as few as three HBV DNA genomes per sample of serum.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Feinstone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unoura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Purcell
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000382:microbiology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens