Hepatitis B virus DNA and e antigen in serum from blood donors in the United Kingdom positive for hepatitis B surface antigen.
- 2 March 1985
- Vol. 290 (6469) , 663-664
- https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.290.6469.663
Abstract
Serum samples from 214 blood donors in the United Kingdom who were carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were examined for hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by DNA:DNA hybridisation and for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and its antibody. One fifth of the donors carried infectious virus in their circulation. The presence of hepatitis B virus DNA correlated well with that of HBeAg, although hepatitis B virus DNA was found in five serum samples that were negative for HBeAg. It is concluded that analysis of serum samples for hepatitis B virus DNA by hybridisation should be the method of choice for determining whether carriers of HBsAg are infectious.This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:
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