Immunoglobulin M antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in patients with chronic type B hepatitis

Maria Sjogren, Jay H. Hoofnagle*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

96 Scopus citations

Abstract

Serum samples from 130 persons who were seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen and who had various forms of accompanying liver disease were tested for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. In 99% of patients with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic type B hepatitis, IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen was present. This antibody was not present in "healthy" hepatitis B surface antigen carriers and was detectable in only 30% of patients with δ hepatitis. Testing of serial sera from 38 patients with chronic type B hepatitis revealed that IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen persisted in patients who had evidence of persistent hepatitis B virus replication but ultimately disappeared in those patients who exhibited a sustained loss of serum markers of viral replication (hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase activity). These findings suggest that the presence of IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in chronic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers indicates an active immune response to persistent viral replication.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)252-258
Number of pages7
JournalGastroenterology
Volume89
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1985
Externally publishedYes

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