title: Effect of ethanol on antigenicity of hepatitis B virus envelope proteins.
abstract: Hepatitis B e antigen-positive human serum was treated with 50-90% ethanol at room temperature for 1-60 min, then the antigenicity of S antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen, in a narrow sense) was determined by radioimmunoassay and the antigenicities of pre-S1 and pre-S2 antigens were measured by enzyme immunoassay. In addition, hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the treated serum was detected by polymerase chain reaction. All antigenicities markedly decreased within 60 min at an ethanol concentration of 70-80%, and the decrease was faster in pre-S1 and pre-S2 antigens than in S antigen. Although HBV DNA remained in all ethanol-treated serum samples, no HBV DNA was detected after treatment with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min. Based on the results, we speculate that one mechanism of loss of HBV infectivity by ethanol is the inhibition of virus binding to hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research and Development, Yoshida Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd, Tokyo 164-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kajiura
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000187:drug effects*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000187:drug effects*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000187:drug effects; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C050806:presurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigen; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen; D000431:Ethanol