A New Antigen-Antibody System

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Abstract
A new antigen-antibody system was recently described in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive sera. Despite indications of heterogeneity in specificity, the designations "eantigen" and "eantibodies" are used for the system as such in this article. Eight of 17 long-term carriers of HBsAg with a histological picture of chronic persistent hepatitis or chronic aggressive hepatitis carried theeantigen, while none had demonstrableeantibodies in serum. Ten of 12 healthy carriers with e antibodies were blood donors who had donated 95 units of blood; none of these carriers was associated with a reported case of posttransfusion hepatitis. In five individuals in the incubation stage of hepatitis B,eantigen appeared simultaneously with HBsAg but before the rise in transaminase levels. This finding further linkseantigen to hepatitis B. (JAMA231:356-359, 1975)