[The isolated presence of anti-HBc antibodies: prevalence and interpretation based on the results of viral DNA research and anti-HBs antibodies measurement after vaccination].
In order to study the significance of the isolated presence of anti-HBc antibodies, we have looked for the 3 classic serological markers of the hepatitis B (HBs antigen, anti-HBs and anti-HBc antibodies) in 1,586 hospital agents who are to vaccinate in the framework of a campaign of systematic vaccination of the hospital personnel of university hospitals of Sfax for a period of 18 months. We identified subjects who presented isolated anti-HBc antibodies (33 individuals = 2.08%). In these subjects'serum, we performed a research of the DNA of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with a PCR hybridization technique using a couple of primers. One week after administration of a vaccine dose, we also measured anti-HBs antibodies in their sera. Among the tested 18 personnel with anti-HBc isolated antibodies, 11.1% had low rates of anti-HBs antibodies indicating that there is presumably primary antibody response and therefore a false positivity of anti-HBc antibodies in pre-vaccinal serology; while 11.1% others had higher rates of anti-HBs antibodies corresponding to a secondary antibody response, which witness a previous HBV immunisation. The research of the HBV-DNA was positive in 11.1% of tested personnel, testifying a presumably chronic portage of the virus with low rates of the HBs antigen undetectable with the serological techniques. For the remainder subjects with isolated anti-HBc antibodies (66.7%), the interpretation remains ambiguous.
Ben Ayed
M
M
Laboratoire d'immunologie, CHU Habib Bourguiba, 3029 Sfax, Tunisie.
Triki
H
H
Cointe
D
D
Karray
H
H
Masmoudi
M A
MA
Dellagi
K
K
Grangeot
L
L
Hammami
A
A
Masmoudi
H
H
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines