Han Y, Wang B, Liu H. The novel use of a routine quantitative system to analyze the activity, content and affinity of an antibody to hepatitis B core antigen.
J Clin Virol 2011;
52:295-9. [PMID:
21978612 DOI:
10.1016/j.jcv.2011.09.002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Revised: 07/23/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Currently, quantitative measurement of serum markers of HBV infection has been widely used, but commonly used analysis for specific antibodies only involves the measurement of the total antibody activity, and the binding affinity or protein content is rarely analyzed.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the detailed features of an antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) during different periods of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with a new method of analysis.
STUDY DESIGN
Serum samples were collected from patients that were positive for the anti-HBc antibody. On the basis of the other serological markers in the samples, all patients were divided into a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive group and an antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs)-positive group. All samples were diluted 2-, 20- and 200-fold. Anti-HBc quantification was measured with a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay; total anti-HBc activity, protein content and affinity were calculated according to a measured value of each dilution. Serum HBV DNA load and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were also measured.
RESULTS
The total anti-HBc activity in the HBsAg-positive group was statistically higher than that in the anti-HBs-positive group (p<0.05). The anti-HBc protein content during active HBV infection was statistically higher than during the convalescence stage (p<0.05), while anti-HBc affinity during HBV infection was lower than during recovery. There were correlations among total activity, affinity, protein content of anti-HBc, and ALT, HBV-DNA (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
It is potentially possible to predict the status of HBV infection by measuring total activity, protein content and affinity of anti-HBc.
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