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Detection of Anti‐HBc IgM Following Prednisone Treatment in Patients with Chronic Active Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Author(s) -
Nowicki Marek J.,
Tong Myron J.,
Nair Prem V.,
Stevenson Douglas
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.1840040606
Subject(s) - medicine , prednisone , gastroenterology , immunology , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis , ascites , cirrhosis , antibody , virus
The effect of a short course of prednisone therapy on serum IgM type antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc IgM) was studied in 14 male patients with chronic active type B hepatitis. Eleven patients (78.5%) became positive for serum anti‐HBc IgM either during or shortly after prednisone withdrawal. Detection of anti‐HBc IgM correlated with an increase in hepatitis B virus specific DNA‐polymerase activity and was followed by a rise in serum transaminase levels. Six patients with histologic evidence of cirrhosis developed anti‐HBc IgM which lasted six or more months after prednisone therapy and had a rapid onset of hepatic decompensation manifested by encephalopathy with ascites and/or variceal bleeding. In 17 untreated chronic active type B hepatitis patients who served as controls, anti‐HBc IgM was detected at low levels in only a single serum sample from each of two patients during the same observation period.