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Detection HBsAg mutants by immunoassays
Author(s) -
Ly Thoai Duong
Publication year - 2007
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.20966
Subject(s) - hbsag , epitope , virology , hepatitis b virus , mutant , monoclonal antibody , antibody , antigen , conformational epitope , biology , virus , gene , immunology , genetics
HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) is the most important marker for the laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis B virus infection. Mutants can emerge in patients as a result of selective pressure. Since almost all diagnostic assays for detection of HBsAg rely on antibodies against the major epitope “a” determinant, amino acid (aa) substitutions in this region could potentially lead to diagnostic failures. The new generation of HBsAg assays uses mixtures of monoclonal antibodies in order to recognize the known S gene mutants and ideally should be sensitive enough to detect the smallest amounts of HBsAg present in low‐level carriers. J. Med. Virol. 79:S37–S41, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.