Abstract
Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 127 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers (ASC; mean age 19) who had normal serum alanine aminotrasferase (ALT) levels and 16 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CH; 19). All 16 CH patients, who were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and 5 ASC cases who were negative for both HBeAg and its antibody (anti-HBe), had high anti-HBc titers. Anti-HBc titers in 27 (56.3%) of the 48 HBeAg-positive ASC and 18 (24.3%) of the 74 anti-HBe-positive ASC were relatively low. Two of the ASC were HBeAgpositive/ anti-HBc-negative. In a follow-up study of the 19 HBeAg-positive ASC with low or negative anti-HBc titers, 5 had abnormal serum ALT levels and increased anti-HBc titers. In contrast, in the other 14 of these subjects, serum ALT levels remained normal and the low anti-HBc titers remained unchanged and/or decreased. The serological profile of HBsAg-positive/low or negative anti-HBc titer and increased anti-HBc titer with abnormal serum ALT levels are not necessarily exceptional in HBeAg-positive adolescent ASC. It is suggested that anti-HBc is associated with the liver damage that occurs before adolescence in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 25-33 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Gastroenterologia Japonica |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 1993 |
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Keywords
- antibody to hepatitis B core antigen
- hepatitis B virus
- polymerized human serum albumin receptor
- pre-S antigen
- seroconversion to anti-HBe
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Gastroenterology
Cite this
Clinical significance of low or negative titer of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen during the course of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in adolescents. / Matsuura, Kazuharu; Tobe, Kazuo; Iwasaki, Yoshiaki; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Kenji; Tsuji, Takao.
In: Gastroenterologia Japonica, Vol. 28, No. 1, 02.1993, p. 25-33.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinical significance of low or negative titer of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen during the course of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in adolescents
AU - Matsuura, Kazuharu
AU - Tobe, Kazuo
AU - Iwasaki, Yoshiaki
AU - Ikeda, Hiroshi
AU - Takahashi, Kenji
AU - Tsuji, Takao
PY - 1993/2
Y1 - 1993/2
N2 - Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 127 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers (ASC; mean age 19) who had normal serum alanine aminotrasferase (ALT) levels and 16 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CH; 19). All 16 CH patients, who were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and 5 ASC cases who were negative for both HBeAg and its antibody (anti-HBe), had high anti-HBc titers. Anti-HBc titers in 27 (56.3%) of the 48 HBeAg-positive ASC and 18 (24.3%) of the 74 anti-HBe-positive ASC were relatively low. Two of the ASC were HBeAgpositive/ anti-HBc-negative. In a follow-up study of the 19 HBeAg-positive ASC with low or negative anti-HBc titers, 5 had abnormal serum ALT levels and increased anti-HBc titers. In contrast, in the other 14 of these subjects, serum ALT levels remained normal and the low anti-HBc titers remained unchanged and/or decreased. The serological profile of HBsAg-positive/low or negative anti-HBc titer and increased anti-HBc titer with abnormal serum ALT levels are not necessarily exceptional in HBeAg-positive adolescent ASC. It is suggested that anti-HBc is associated with the liver damage that occurs before adolescence in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
AB - Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 127 asymptomatic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers (ASC; mean age 19) who had normal serum alanine aminotrasferase (ALT) levels and 16 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CH; 19). All 16 CH patients, who were positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and 5 ASC cases who were negative for both HBeAg and its antibody (anti-HBe), had high anti-HBc titers. Anti-HBc titers in 27 (56.3%) of the 48 HBeAg-positive ASC and 18 (24.3%) of the 74 anti-HBe-positive ASC were relatively low. Two of the ASC were HBeAgpositive/ anti-HBc-negative. In a follow-up study of the 19 HBeAg-positive ASC with low or negative anti-HBc titers, 5 had abnormal serum ALT levels and increased anti-HBc titers. In contrast, in the other 14 of these subjects, serum ALT levels remained normal and the low anti-HBc titers remained unchanged and/or decreased. The serological profile of HBsAg-positive/low or negative anti-HBc titer and increased anti-HBc titer with abnormal serum ALT levels are not necessarily exceptional in HBeAg-positive adolescent ASC. It is suggested that anti-HBc is associated with the liver damage that occurs before adolescence in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
KW - antibody to hepatitis B core antigen
KW - hepatitis B virus
KW - polymerized human serum albumin receptor
KW - pre-S antigen
KW - seroconversion to anti-HBe
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0027408074&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0027408074&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/BF02775000
DO - 10.1007/BF02775000
M3 - Article
C2 - 8440421
AN - SCOPUS:0027408074
VL - 28
SP - 25
EP - 33
JO - Journal of Gastroenterology
JF - Journal of Gastroenterology
SN - 0944-1174
IS - 1
ER -