Hepatitis B core antigen in serum during acute hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B core antigen was measured in sera of patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infection by a modified radioimmunoassay based on high molarity treatment of samples to avoid masking of antigen by homologous antibody. A good correlation between hepatitis B core antigen levels and serum HBV-DNA was observed in sera obtained during chronic infection. In contrast, acute phase sera were often HBcAg positive but HBV-DNA negative, particularly when obtained during maximum liver damage. Sequential studies in 5 patients with acute hepatitis B showed that HBcAg positivity persisted beside HBV-DNA clearance and was often enhanced at the time of maximum liver damage, suggesting release of antigen from infected hepatocytes undergoing immunolysis, even after termination of virus replication.
Chemello
L
L
Istituto di Medicina Clinica, Clinica Medica 2, Università di Padova, Italy.
Pontisso
P
P
Schiavon
E
E
Thiers
V
V
Tagariello
G
G
Alberti
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens