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Hepatitis B core antigen synthesised in Escherichia coli: its use for antibody screening in patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

B. J. Cohen ,
P. A. Litton ,
P. P. Mortimer  and
P. Simmons
B. J. Cohen
Affiliation:
Virus Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT
P. A. Litton
Affiliation:
Virus Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT
P. P. Mortimer
Affiliation:
Virus Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT
P. Simmons
Affiliation:
Special Clinic, Prince of Wales Hospital, London N15
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Summary

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Hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) synthesised in Escherichia coli by recombinant DNA techniques was compared with HBcAg prepared from infected livrer tissue. The two antigens were used in radioimmunoassays (RIA) to detect antibody to HBcAg (anti-HBc) in sera from patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Out of 2151 sera tested, 260 were anti-HBc positive with both HBcAg preparations but seven were positive with the liver-derived antigen alone. Reasons for these discrepant results are discussed. The slight loss of sensitivity of the anti-HBc RIA using E. coli HBcAg was not considered significant when compared with the potential advantages of a synthetic antigen.

The presence of other hepatitis B markers in the 267 anti-HBc positive sera was determined: 25 contained HBsAg, 220 anti-HBs and, of the 22 that were HBsAg/anti-HBs negative, 12 contained anti-HBe. In the 10 remaining sera, anti-HBc was the only hepatitis B marker that could be found.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 93 , Issue 2 , October 1984 , pp. 225 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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