title: The underlying mechanisms for the "isolated positivity for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)" serological profile.
abstract: During HBV infection, four structural antigen/antibody systems are observed: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and its antibody (anti-HBs); the pre-S antigens associated with HBsAg particles and their antibodies; the particulate nucleocapsid antigen (HBcAg) and anti-HBc; and an antigen structurally related to HBcAg, namely HBeAg and its antibody (anti-HBe). Through the examination of this antigen-antibodies system, hepatitis B infection is diagnosed and the course of the disorder may be observed. Isolated HBsAg seropositivity is a peculiar serological pattern in HBV infection observed some times in routine laboratory. In most cases is not clear how this profile should be interpreted neither its significance. This pattern, however, may be associated with some clinical and laboratorial situations of great relevance, some of which will be addressed in this article.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Virologia Humana, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia-Goiás, Brazil. roberioponde@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Robério Amorim de Almeida
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Pondé
mesh_terms: D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens
references.citation: J Virol. 1993 Aug;67(8):4886-95
references.pmid: 7687304
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Apr;21(4):593-8
references.pmid: 3988901
references.citation: J Virol. 1996 Nov;70(11):7540-8
references.pmid: 8892873
references.citation: Transfusion. 2009 Aug;49(8):1609-20
references.pmid: 19413732
references.citation: Int J Med Sci. 2005;2(1):50-57
references.pmid: 15968340
references.citation: J Immunol. 1998 Feb 15;160(4):2013-21
references.pmid: 9469465
references.citation: Hepatol Int. 2008 Dec;2(4):478-85
references.pmid: 19669323
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 1996 Jul;111(1):183-92
references.pmid: 8698197
references.citation: Microbiol Immunol. 1996;40(7):481-8
references.pmid: 8865153
references.citation: J Pediatr. 1994 Oct;125(4):621-2
references.pmid: 7931886
references.citation: J Med Virol. 1995 Jul;46(3):201-6
references.pmid: 7561790
references.citation: Vaccine. 2003 Sep 8;21(25-26):3734-7
references.pmid: 12922105
references.citation: J Viral Hepat. 1999 Nov;6(6):415-27
references.pmid: 10607259
references.citation: World J Gastroenterol. 2005 Jun 21;11(23):3582-5
references.pmid: 15962380
references.citation: Clin Chem. 2006 Aug;52(8):1592-8
references.pmid: 16762998
references.citation: J Hepatol. 2010 Apr;52(4):514-22
references.pmid: 20207438
references.citation: BMC Gastroenterol. 2005 Aug 08;5:26
references.pmid: 16086833
references.citation: J Med Virol. 1999 Sep;59(1):19-24
references.pmid: 10440803
references.citation: J Viral Hepat. 2007 Nov;14 Suppl 1:16-21
references.pmid: 17958638
references.citation: Lancet. 1988 Dec 3;2(8623):1315-6
references.pmid: 2904040
references.citation: J Viral Hepat. 2007 Nov;14 Suppl 1:11-5
references.pmid: 17958637
references.citation: Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Aug;2(4):553-62
references.pmid: 19072403
references.citation: Liver. 1994 Oct;14(5):251-6
references.pmid: 7997084
references.citation: J Clin Virol. 2006 Jul;36(3):231-4
references.pmid: 16574475
references.citation: Transfus Clin Biol. 2004 Feb;11(1):18-25
references.pmid: 14980545
references.citation: J Med Virol. 1994 Feb;42(2):109-14
references.pmid: 8158103
references.citation: J Virol. 1995 Jun;69(6):3358-68
references.pmid: 7538172
references.citation: Lancet Infect Dis. 2002 Jan;2(1):43-50
references.pmid: 11892495
references.citation: World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Jan 7;13(1):48-64
references.pmid: 17206754
references.citation: J Hepatol. 2008 Jul;49(1):17-24
references.pmid: 18479773
references.citation: Springer Semin Immunopathol. 1995;17(2-3):149-66
references.pmid: 8571166
references.citation: Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2004 Nov;16(11):1213-8
references.pmid: 15489584
references.citation: Hepatology. 1993 Jun;17(6):966-70
references.pmid: 8514269
references.citation: Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Feb;105(2):449-50
references.pmid: 15684195
references.citation: J Virol. 1989 Feb;63(2):919-24
references.pmid: 2911125
references.citation: J Med Virol. 1995 Aug;46(4):375-9
references.pmid: 7595416
references.citation: J Hepatol. 1996 Feb;24(2):155-60
references.pmid: 8907568
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 2003 Jan;41(1):135-43
references.pmid: 12517838
references.citation: J Hepatol. 1997 Aug;27(2):251-8
references.pmid: 9288597
references.citation: Clin Chem. 2006 Aug;52(8):1457-9
references.pmid: 16873296
references.citation: J Hepatol. 2000 Dec;33(6):992-7
references.pmid: 11131464
references.citation: Clin Chem. 2000 Apr;46(4):582
references.pmid: 10759492
references.citation: Am J Clin Pathol. 2006 May;125(5):748-51
references.pmid: 16707377
references.citation: J Med Virol. 1991 Feb;33(2):95-9
references.pmid: 2051143
references.citation: Vox Sang. 2002 Jan;82(1):15-7
references.pmid: 11856462
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 1991 Jul;88(1):214-22
references.pmid: 1711541
references.citation: Science. 1986 Dec 12;234(4782):1398-401
references.pmid: 3491425
references.citation: Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2000 Nov;7(6):865-6
references.pmid: 11063488
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 2006 Jun;44(6):2250-3
references.pmid: 16757632
references.citation: Lancet. 1988 Mar 19;1(8586):656
references.pmid: 2894596
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 1993 Jun;91(6):2586-95
references.pmid: 8514870
references.citation: Viral Immunol. 2006 Winter;19(4):623-9
references.pmid: 17201657
references.citation: J Hepatol. 1991 Sep;13(2):187-91
references.pmid: 1744423
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 1989 Sep;27(9):2102-4
references.pmid: 2674201
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 1999 Aug;37(8):2639-47
references.pmid: 10405414
references.citation: J Med Virol. 2006 Feb;78(2):169-77
references.pmid: 16372285
references.citation: Acta Paediatr. 1996 Dec;85(12):1501-2
references.pmid: 9001667
references.citation: Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1994 Oct;13(10):931-3
references.pmid: 7854896
references.citation: Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 1991 Nov;9(9):581-2
references.pmid: 1822713
references.citation: Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1993 Oct;12(10):878-9
references.pmid: 8284126
references.citation: Res Virol. 1990 May-Jun;141(3):365-71
references.pmid: 2392619
references.citation: Transfusion. 1995 Jun;35(6):475-7
references.pmid: 7770897
references.citation: J Hepatol. 1993 Feb;17(2):150-4
references.pmid: 8445229
references.citation: J Infect Dis. 2009 Oct 15;200(8):1227-31
references.pmid: 19751152
references.citation: J Cell Mol Med. 2002 Jan-Mar;6(1):113-43
references.pmid: 12003675
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2000 Jun;105(6):E81
references.pmid: 10835094
references.citation: Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2004 Jan;22(1):6-12
references.pmid: 14757001
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 Feb;12(2):198-203
references.pmid: 16494742
references.citation: World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Jan 7;13(1):65-73
references.pmid: 17206755
references.citation: Hepatology. 1989 Aug;10(2):179-85
references.pmid: 2744730
references.citation: J Clin Virol. 2006 May;36 Suppl 1:S23-9
references.pmid: 16831689
references.citation: J Virol. 2005 Mar;79(5):3016-27
references.pmid: 15709022
references.citation: Hepatology. 1992 Jul;16(1):24-30
references.pmid: 1535607
references.citation: Transfusion. 2003 Jun;43(6):788-98
references.pmid: 12757531
references.citation: Vox Sang. 2001 Feb;80(2):90-4
references.pmid: 11378970
references.citation: Virology. 1991 Aug;183(2):825-9
references.pmid: 1853580
references.citation: Mol Immunol. 1985 Nov;22(11):1279-87
references.pmid: 2417111
references.citation: J Clin Virol. 2001 Jun;21(3):229-37
references.pmid: 11397659
references.citation: Hosp Med. 2002 Jan;63(1):16-9
references.pmid: 11828810
references.citation: Lancet. 1987 Dec 12;2(8572):1354-8
references.pmid: 2446096
references.citation: Vaccine. 2000 Feb 18;18 Suppl 1:S23-5
references.pmid: 10683539
references.citation: J Med Virol. 1991 Apr;33(4):240-7
references.pmid: 1856705
references.citation: J Virol Methods. 2006 Jul;135(1):109-17
references.pmid: 16567005