title: Significance of anti-hbc in the absence of other hepatitis B markers in a college-aged population.
abstract: A study of 291 college students in the Houston (Tex., USA) area was performed to determine the relationship between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level and antibodies to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (anti-HBc) in the absence of other HBV markers (referred to as isolated anti-HBc). Participants were drawn from three groups: those positive only for anti-HBc (cases), those positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, a marker of acute/chronic HBV infection (control group 1), and those with no previous exposure to the HBV (control group 2). There were no significant differences between the groups in percentages of subjects with an elevated ALT level. The mean ALT level from active HBV infections was highest with HBV-negative controls having the lowest mean ALT concentration (p = 0.06), but no significant differences were found between ALT levels of those with isolated anti-HBc and either control group. This study may further aid in determining the presence of any liver damage when testing positive only for the antibodies to HBc.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX 77225, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stancoven
authors.forename: L-Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Troisi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013781:Texas
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase