Binding activity of circulating HBsAg particles for polymerized human albumin in acute hepatitis B

: The binding activity of circulating HBsAg particles to polymerized human serum albumin (pHSA) was determined by radioimmunoassay in 18 patients with acute hepatitis B at follow-up and compared with other hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers. All patients had serum HBsAg particles with binding sites for pHSA during the acute phase of disease. Elimination of HBsAg particles with pHSA receptors occurred within 1 to 8 weeks in uncomplicated courses and in one case with a protracted course of 16 weeks before total elimination of HBsAg. The pHSA-test became negative after elimination of HBsAg in most instances. Three patients developed chronic hepatitis with persistence of pHSA-binding HBsAg particles. Circulating HBcAg dissociated by chaotropic ions was detectable in the first week of observation in 4 of 15 patients who recovered and persisted in 3 cases with transition to chronic disease. The results show that acute hepatitis B is associated with circulating pHSA-binding HBsAg particles which can serve as a prognostic marker of the early phase of the disease.