Clinical significance of serum pre-S(1) and pre-S(2) gene coded polypeptide of hepatitis B virus

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to detect polypeptides coded by the pre-S (1) and pre-S (2) region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA with monoclonal antibody in 100 sera containing hepatitis B surface antigen particles. There can be seen a close correlation between the titer of pre-S (1) polypeptide and HBV-DNA level (HBV-asymptomatic carrier; n=40, r=0.800, p<0.01, chronic hepatitis type B; n=60, r=0.730, p<0.01). Ten patients with chronic hepatitis type B was devided into two groups (group 1: serum transaminase normalized after acute exacerbation (AE), group 2: abnormality of serum transaminase continued after AE). The titer of pre-S (1) polypeptide as well as HBV-DNA level was significantly reduced after AE in group 1 and group 2. But the titer of pre-S (2) polypeptide was more significantly reduced after AE in group 1 than in group 2. These results suggest that the detection of serum pre-S (2) polypeptide is more useful as a prognostic test for chronic hepatitis type B than pre-S (1) polypeptide.