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Inadequacy of lmmunoglobulin M hepatitis B core antibody in detecting acute hepatitis B virus infection in infants of HBsAg carrier mothers
Author(s) -
Chen DingShinn,
Sung JueiLow,
Lai MingYang,
Sheu JinChuan,
Yang PeiMing,
Lee ShengChung,
Chen ShenHui,
Chang MeiHwei,
Ko TsangMing,
Lee TzuYao
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890160402
Subject(s) - medicine , hbsag , hepatitis b virus , antibody , virology , asymptomatic carrier , immunology , hepatitis b , immunoglobulin m , asymptomatic , hepatitis , antigen , virus , immunoglobulin g
To study the usefulness of IgM hepatitis B core antibody (anti‐HBc IgM) for detecting hepatitis B virus infections in infants of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier mothers, serial serum samples from 86 infants of carrier mothers were tested for anti‐HBc IgM with a highly specific enzyme immunoassay. Asymptomatic hepatitis B infection occurred frequently in infants under 12 mo of age. Anti‐HBc IgM never became positive in 25 infants infected under 9 mo old. It was positive in only 1 of 6 infected at 9 mo and 4 of 13 infected at 12 mo of age. The IgM antibody lasted for less than 6 mo. Although the infection was delayed in 28 infants receiving hepatitis B immune globulin, the poor anti‐HBc IgM response did not seem to be due to the immune prophylaxis. Our study clearly indicates the limitation of anti‐HBc IgM for detecting acute hepatitis B infection in infants born to HBsAg carrier mothers.