Significance of maternal and infant serum antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen in hepatitis B virus infection of infancy

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Abstract
The significance of IgM and IgG class antibodies to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core component (anti‐HBc) was investigated in a study of maternal‐fetal HBV transmission. An IgM anti‐HBc response was lacking in the majority (49/53) of HBV‐infected infants. This antibody thus cannot be used as an indicator of transplacental infection. However, most infants who became HBsAg positive during the first 6 months of life acquire infection in the perinatal period rather than transplacentally. Passively transferred maternal IgG anti‐HBc in the infant and additional IgM anti‐HBc positively in the carrier mother have no modulating influence on HBV infection of infants born to HBV carrier women.