Abstract
Hepatitis B virus is the infectious agent that causes hepatitis of the long incubation variety and frequently is transmitted by blood transfusions. Hepatitis B antigen (HB Ag, Australia antigen) is an immunologic marker of hepatitis B virus and is found in serum of patients with acute hepatitis and in chronic carriers. Transfusion of blood containing HB Ag frequently leads to hepatitis in the recipient. Many methods have been developed for detection of HB Ag. None of these methods are capable of detecting the minimum dose required to transmit hepatitis to humans. Radioimmunoassay methods were applied to measurement of HB Ag and hepatitis B antibody (HB Ab). Two general approaches have been used for measurement of HB Ag. The first is competitive radioassay using radioiodinated HB Ag and the second is a direct system using labeled HB Ab. Both methods offer considerably higher sensitivity than other common detection systems. However, preliminary studies suggest that donor screening for HB Ag by radioimmunoassay will not eliminate all HB Ag-associated transfusion hepatitis. Measurement of HB Ab by use of double-antibody radioimmunoassay has revealed evidence of prior exposure to HB Ag in a high proportion of the adult population, especially in lower socioeconomic groups. Evidence is accumulating that circulating HB Ab is associated with immunity to hepatitis B.
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