Dane Particle–Associated Hepatitis B E Antigen in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Hepatitis B E Antibody

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Abstract
A commercial radioimmunoassay was adapted to detect serum Dane particle–associated HBeAg in patients whose sera contained the homologous antibody. HBeAg was released from Dane particles with guanidine HC1. Dane particles were separated from anti–HBe by gel–filtration (Sepharose 4B) and ultracentrifu–gation of the eluate. Dane particle–HBeAg was tested in 45 HBsAg carriers with anti–HBe and was present in 8 (18%) carriers, all of whom had chronic liver disease. By contrast, HBeAg was not found in 10 carriers with normal liver histology. Serum or liver HBeAg was found in 6 of 8 patients with Dane particle–HBeAg. None of the carriers without Dane particle–HBeAg had other markers of hepatitis B virion synthesis. We conclude that Dane particle–HBeAg provides a sensitive index of active hepatitis B virus replication, a guide to the presence of chronic hepatitis in HBsAg carriers with anti–HBe, and a noninvasive method to follow infection in these patients.