Monoclonal radioimmunoassays for hepatitis B surface antigen: demonstration of hepatitis B virus DNA or related sequences in serum and viral epitopes in immune complexes.

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Abstract
High-affinity monoclonal IgM and IgG antibodies (anti-HBs) to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) have recently been developed and used in the construction of highly sensitive radioimmunoassays for the detection of HBsAg-associated determinants in serum. Selected serum samples demonstrating monoclonal immunoreactive material also contain nucleic acid sequences complementary to hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by molecular hybridization analysis. Monoclonal radioimmunoassays can detect viral determinants in HBsAg-anti-HBs immune complexes formed in anti-HBs excess; such determinants are undetectable by commercial radioimmunoassay. Thus, there evidently are HBV or HBV-related agents present in human serum that are detected by monoclonal antibodies but are not identified by conventional polyvalent antibodies.