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Serum titers of pre‐S(2) antigen in patients with acute and chronic type B hepatitis: Relation to serum aminotransferase activity and other hepatitis b virus markers
Author(s) -
Kurai Kiyohiko,
Iino Shiro,
Koike Kazuhiko,
Mitamura Keiji,
Endo Yasuo,
Oka Hiroshi
Publication year - 1989
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.1840090202
Subject(s) - hbeag , exacerbation , titer , medicine , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b , immunology , virology , antigen , hepatitis , immunoassay , virus , hbsag , antibody
The peptide which is encoded by the pre‐S(2) region of hepatitis B virus DNA, the pre‐S(2) antigen, was determined quantitatively by an enzyme immunoassay system employing monoclonal antibodies. The prevalence and titer of pre‐S(2)Ag were 91.9% (91/99) and 10,356 ± 19,053 units (mean ± S.D., arbitrary units) for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive patients with acute and chronic HBV infection and 86.0% (74/86) and 952 ± 1,565 units for HBeAg‐negative subjects. In four patients with acute hepatitis B, pre‐S(2)Ag titers changed in parallel with HBV DNA levels, and the disappearance of pre‐S(2)Ag from serum was associated with a rapid fall of ALT levels into the normal range, whereas the fluctuation of pre‐S(2)Ag titer correlated with persistence of ALT elevations. In all of the 19 episodes of acute exacerbation of hepatitis which occurred in nine patients with chronic active hepatitis B, a significant elevation of pre‐S(2)Ag titer was observed, closely overlapping an increase or appearance of HBV DNA, and its peak preceded peaks of ALT by 1 to 11 weeks (mean ± S.D.=4.26 ± 2.57 weeks). These observations suggest that quantitative measurement of pre‐S(2)Ag would be useful for estimation of the magnitude of HBV replication and would help predict the prognosis of acute hepatitis B and of acute exacerbation in chronic hepatitis B.