Hepatitis B virus DNA in blood samples positive for antibodies to core antigen and negative for surface antigen.
Anti-hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg)-positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative plasma samples from blood donors were tested by nested PCR. DNA positivity was more significantly associated with high levels of anti-HBcAg than with low levels of anti-HBsAg antibodies. Analysis of a dilution of anti-HBcAg antibodies might result in a more rational exclusion of anti-HBcAg-positive HBsAg-negative samples, reducing the number of donations discarded and enabling more countries to incorporate anti-HBcAg testing.
Gutiérrez
C
C
Laboratorio de Biología de Virus, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Cellular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Apartado 21827, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela.
León
G
G
Loureiro
C L
CL
Uzcátegui
N
N
Liprandi
F
F
Pujol
F H
FH
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014687:Venezuela
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens