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The Persistence of Hepatitis A IgM Antibody After Acute Clinical Hepatitis A
Author(s) -
Kao Henry W.,
Ashcavai Mary,
Redeker Allan G.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840040525
Subject(s) - serology , medicine , hepatitis a , jaundice , persistence (discontinuity) , immunology , antibody , hepatitis , immunoglobulin m , hepatitis a virus , viral hepatitis , acute hepatitis , virology , gastroenterology , virus , immunoglobulin g , geotechnical engineering , engineering
Hepatitis A IgM antibody (IgM anti‐HAV), detected by commercially available solid‐phase radioimmunoassay, is an accepted marker of acute viral hepatitis A infection. However, persistence of this serological marker far beyond the acute illness and immediate convalescent period has been reported. To determine the persistence of IgM anti‐HAV following clinically manifest acute hepatitis A infection, 59 patients with this diagnosis were followed prospectively until this marker disappeared or persisted for greater than 60 days. Timed from the onset of jaundice, IgM anti‐HAV persisted for less than 30 to greater than 420 days; most patients became seronegative by 120 days. These findings suggest that some patients may become seronegative early in the disease course while others (13.5%) remain positive for prolonged periods greater than 200 days. Awareness of this marked variability is important in the interpretation of IgM anti‐HAV as a serologic marker of recent hepatitis A infection.