Platelet aggregation by hepatitis B surface antigen-antibody complexes

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Abstract
Platelet aggregation indicating antigen-antibody [Ag-Ab] complex formation was observed when hepatitis B surface (HBs) Ag and Ab were mixed. Platelet aggregation titers were determined for [human] serum specimens found positive by radioimmunoassay for HBs Ag or HBs Ab. From these determinations, incidence of HBs Ag-Ab complexes was higher in HBs Ag sera than in HBs Ab sera. There was an inverse correlation between platelet aggregation titers and radioimmunoassay values that was statistically significant for HBs Ag sera but not for HBs Ab sera. The incidence of anti-complementary activity was twice as high for platelet aggregation-positive HBs Ag and Ab sera as for platelet aggregation-negative sera. HBs Ag sera that were positive by platelet aggregation exhibited nearly 3 times the incidence of anti-complementary activity as did HBs Ab sera. The low incidence of anti-complementary activity was distributed about equally between HBs Ag and Ab sera that were negative by platelet aggregation. Additional HBs Ag preincubated with HBs Ag-positive sera effectively inhibited platelet aggregation; additional HBs Ab was somewhat less effective. Preincubation of HBs Ag sera with [goat] anti-IgG [immunoglobulin G] serum effectively enhanced platelet aggregation; preincubation of HBs Ag sera with HBs Ab did not.