title: [Changes in the response time of anti-HBc IgM in a hepatitis B case load. Diagnostic implications].
abstract: Anti-HBc IgM were determined in 46 patients whose serum was positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). All sera were tested from 1:4000 up to 1:8128000 dilution with a radioimmunometric assay. Anti-HBc IgM persisted at detectable level for up 15 months from acute infection in more than 50% of the patients. High levels of anti-HBc IgM are seen only in the acute phase but it is difficult to establish a cut-off dilution displaying diagnostic value between current and remote infection. Anti-HBc IgM are always detectable in acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) so that the absence of HBc IgM in acute hepatitis with positive HBsAg allows to discard HBV as the causative agent and to suspect a non-B hepatitis (A, delta, NANB). On the contrary the presence of anti-HBc IgM in detectable amounts in patients with acute hepatitis and negative HBsAg makes possible the diagnosis of acute B virus hepatitis.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007075:Immunoglobulin M
vernacular_title: Modificazioni nel tempo della risposta delle IgM anti-HBc in una casistica di epatiti da HBV. Implicazioni diagnostiche.