DIAGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS-B VIRUS POLYMERASEIN ACUTELY AND CHRONICALLY HBV-INFECTED INDIVIDUALS

The prevalence and time course of the occurrence of antibodies to the hepatitis B virus polymerase (anti-HBpol) were investigated in acutely and in chronically HBV-infected individuals by using recombinant HBpo l protein for Western blot analysis. One group consisted of 19 patient s who were acutely infected and recovered completely. Five of these pa tients (26%, 69 serum samples examined) exhibited anti-HBpol. Among th ose anti-HBpol positive patients, recovery from the disease was combin ed with a complete loss of this antibody. In contrast, in a second gro up of 15 individuals who developed chronic hepatitis B, 13 (87%,102 se rum samples examined) had anti-HBpol during the acute phase of the dis ease. The difference between the anti-HBpol prevalence rates of the tw o patient groups is statistically significant (Exact Fisher test, P < .002), implying that the occurrence of anti-HBpol may be indicative of a potential chronic course of hepatitis B. Remarkably, anti-HBpol was found in one case of a clinically suspected hepatitis B in which no o ther serological HBV parameters were found. This serum sample was posi tive in HBV PCR, supporting a possible diagnostic value of anti-HBpol. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.