title: Clinical significance of immunoglobulin A antibody to hepatitis B core antigen of polymeric and monomeric forms in chronic type B liver disease with acute exacerbation.
abstract: Serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) was measured by a solid-phase enzyme immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies in sera from chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). To reinforce the clinical significance of IgA anti-HBc, levels of IgA subclasses and molecular characterization of IgA anti-HBc in sera of 13 patients in the acute exacerbation phase and the remission phase were compared. IgA anti-HBc was significantly higher in sera in the acute exacerbation phase than in the remission phase (p less than 0.025); in particular, more significant changes were observed in IgA2 anti-HBc (p less than 0.0025) and in secretory IgA anti-HBc (p less than 0.001). Analysis of molecular size distribution of IgA anti-HBc by high performance liquid chromatography showed that the elevation of polymeric IgA anti-HBc was significantly greater than that of monomeric IgA anti-HBc in the acute exacerbation phase (p less than 0.05), although there was an increase in both monomeric and polymeric IgA anti-HBc. Thus, the elevation of polymeric IgA anti-HBc suggests that the focal immune response against HBcAg in the liver and secretory IgA anti-HBc is an important marker of acute exacerbation in patients with HBsAg-positive chronic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Fukui Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Douchin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kohli
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujiki
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis* / Q000145:classification; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000032:analysis; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory