title: Hepatitis B core antigen in serum during acute hepatitis B.
abstract: 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.
authors: Istituto di Medicina Clinica, Clinica Medica 2, Università di Padova, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Chemello
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Pontisso
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Schiavon
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Thiers
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Tagariello
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Alberti
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens