title: Anti-pre-S2 antibodies in natural hepatitis B virus infection and after immunization.
abstract: Anti-pre-S2 antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immuno-absorbant assay using a synthetic peptide analogue of pre-S2 protein, in different groups of hepatitis-B-infected subjects, including patients presenting with cirrhosis and liver cancer, and also in infants immunized with hepatitis B vaccine. Anti-pre-S2 antibodies were not detected in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) chronic carriers, including patients with cirrhosis or primary liver cancer. Anti-pre-S2 antibodies were not detected in HBsAg-positive sera during the early phase of acute hepatitis. They were only noted upon recovery, when anti-HBs antibodies are detectable at the same time as HBsAg. After recovery, anti-pre-S2 antibodies were noted in 57% of test sera and were still detectable in 16% of anti-HBs-positive sera obtained years after HBV infection. Anti-pre-S2 antibodies were detected in 70% of infants immunized with 2 or 5 micrograms doses of Hevac B Pasteur vaccine, confirming that this vaccine contains pre-S2 antigen. Anti-pre-S2 detection was correlated with the anti-HBs antibody titre.
authors.affiliation: Institute de Virologie de Tours, Faculté de Pharmacie, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coursaget
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adamowicz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bourdil
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yvonnet
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Buisson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Barrès
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saliou
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chiron
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Mar
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000276:immunology*; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen