Serodiagnosis of Hepatitis B Virus Infection by Antibody to Core Antigen

Abstract

In a military population antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was found in 39% of acute hepatitis cases negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBS Ag) and in 96% of HBs Ag-positive cases. Persistence of antibody to HBs Ag (anti-HBs) in convalescent-phase sera was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) in individuals with acute HBs Ag-positive hepatitis B than in patients with clinical HBs Ag-negative hepatitis B. The prevalence of anti-HBc in the absence of HBs Ag, anti-HBs, and clinical disease was 3.2% in this military population. In longitudinal studies of hepatitis B infection, the presence of anti-HBc preceded anti-HBs and improved the ability to determine the onset of sublicnical infection. Anti-HBc is a useful serologic marker for the study of the epidemiology of hepatitis B and improves the efficiency of detection of hepatitis B virus infection.

Serological markers for hepatitis types A and B among U.S. Arym soldiers, Germany.

“…'6' 17 Prior work has indicated that anti-HBs is the single most sensitive seroindicator of prior HB infection. '6 However, the findings of the present survey (Table 4) closely parallel those of Irwin,et al,17 and indicate that anti-HBc is, in fact, the more sensitive marker.…”

Establishment of passive hemagglutination assay (PHA) system for anti-HBc in plasma.

“…The ratios of anti-HBc positive in blood donors are reported to be 2-3% in the USA (Irwin et al 1977;Nath et al 1983) and the Netherland (Katchaki et al 1979), and 11% in Italy (Ascione et al 1981). As shown in Fig.…”

Viral antigens and antibodies in hepatitis B infection.

“…Tsuda et al (1975) reported that 3 % of blood donors in Japan had core antibody as detected by an immune adherence haemagglutination method in the absence of surface antigen and antibody. Gerber et al (1977) found core antibody in 21 % of 33 patients with surface antigen-negative chronic hepatitis, and Irwin et al (1977) have recently reported that 39 % of surface antigennegative acute hepatitis patients in a military population had core antibody. It would therefore seem likely that active replication of this virus may occur in some patients in the absence of excess production of the surface antigen in the form of 20 to 25 nm particles.…”