The potential of alkaline 2% glutaraldehyde solutions, with and without surface active agents, to alter the antigenicity of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was analyzed and compared to the antigenic alternation capacities of 0.525% sodium hypochlorite and 2.02% formaldehyde solutions. After treatment of a hepatitis B surface antigen-positive plasma at room temperature for 10 min, there was a 51-67% reduction in surface antigen level and a 90-94% decrease in hepatitis B core antigenicity. Glutaraldehyde is proposed as an alternative to the more noxious hypochlorite and formaldehyde solutions for disinfection of HBV-contaminated articles.
Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) was examined as an effective disinfectant in hepatitis laboratories. Concentrations of NaOCl containing 5,600 ppm (5,600 ,ug/ ml) of available chlorine were found to be effective in destroying the antigenicity of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in virion-rich plasma after an exposure time of 1 min or more. In the treatment of protein-deficient solutions containing HBsAg, smaller concentrations of available chlorine (<500 ppm) are equally effective. Neither 17to 25-nm HBsAg particles nor 45-nm virion particles could be detected by electron microscopy after treatment. Chemical interaction of protein and NaOCl was confirmed by isoelectrofocusing of 125I-labeled HBsAg. More than 90% of the labeled material was found at pH 3.0 or lower, indicating complete antigen oxidation. Labeled HBsAg was reduced in density from 1.21 g/ cm3 in CsCl to approximately 1.07 g/cm3 after treatment with NaOCl. Both hepatitis B core antigen and deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase activity were significantly reduced after interaction with hypochlorite solutions. These results show that NaOCl destroys hepatitis B antigenicity and virus structures and therefore may be utilized as a disinfectant for the virus.
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