title: IgM anti-HBc in acute and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection: diagnostic value and correlation with viral replication and disease activity.
abstract: IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (IgM anti-HBc) was determined in 348 subjects with hepatitis B virus infection, in order to evaluate, in an area of high hepatitis D virus (HDV) endemicity, its usefulness in discriminating acute HBV hepatitis from HDV superinfection of HBsAg carriers, and to see whether in chronic HBV infection IgM anti-HBc can be related to viral replication, disease activity, or risk of neoplastic transformation. The positive predictive value (PV) of IgM anti-HBc for acute hepatitis was low at the standard 2.1 cut-off (35.2%), but a cut-off of 7 raised the positive PV, retaining a negative PV of above 90% and a sensitivity of 59.5%. No significant relationship was found in chronic infection between IgM anti-HBc, the level of HBV replication or the type of liver disease. Patients with HDV infection were mostly IgM anti-HBc negative. Hepatocellular carcinoma was not associated with a raised prevalence of IgM anti-HBc.
authors.affiliation: Academic Dept. of Medicine, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craxì
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aragona
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patti
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002353:Carrier State; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D007075:Immunoglobulin M