DETECTION OF VIRUS-A ANTIBODY (HAAB) FOR HEPATITIS-A EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DIAGNOSIS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 58  (6) , 445-452
Abstract
Antibody to hepatitis A virus (HAAb) in 383 subjects living in Rome, Italy, with negative history for hepatitis (divided into groups by age, sex and occupation) and in 64 subjects with acute non-B hepatitis (hepatitis B surface antigen-negative) was studied. In the latter, the titer of HAAb was determined early and later during the course of the disease. A fractionation of 13 sera of these patients was done and type of specific Ig was determined. Among the subjects with negative history for hepatitis, 68.9% were positive during the first 6 mo. of age, 6.2% from 6 mo. to 5 yr old, 27.6% from 6-12 yr old, 45.4% from 12-17 yr old, 76.8% from 18-25 yr old, 82.2% from 26-45 yr old and 90.2% from 46-65 yr old. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females or among various occupations. Among the 64 patients with non-B hepatitis, 25 (39%) were hepatitis A (because they showed a seroconversion for HAAb or a positive HAAb-IgM); 12 (18.7%) were non-A, non-B hepatitis (because they were HAAb negative or HAAb positive but negative for HAAb-IgM); 27 (42.2%) were impossible to classify (because they showed a positivity for HAAb but not a seroconversion during the disease). The limit of the determination of HAAb and the use of the IgM antibody for the diagnosis of hepatitis A are discussed.

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