title: Establishment of a new method for the detection of the affinity of antibody to hepatitis B e antigen by a routine quantitative system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The commonly used quantitative analyses for specific antibodies only involve measurement of the total antibody activity, and the binding affinity is rarely analyzed. We established a method for the detection of the affinity of the antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe).
  
  
  METHODS
  A method to detect anti-HBe affinity was established by using a routine quantitative system (Architect Analyzer). Serum samples were collected from hepatitis B patients with anti-HBe. On the basis of the other serologic markers in the samples, patients were divided into HBsAg positive and anti-HBs positive groups. The total anti-HBe activity and anti-HBe affinity were each measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The affinity of anti-HBe in the anti-HBs positive group was higher than that in the HBsAg positive group (P<0.05); conversely, the total anti-HBe activity in the anti-HBs positive group was lower than that in the HBsAg positive group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anti-HBe affinity arising from an immune response to HBV infection may vary significantly between different situations. This new approach will be suitable for determining antibody affinity in clinical laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. liuhui60@mail.dlptt.ln.cn
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yanan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D005260:Female; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens