A receptor for polymerized human and chimpanzee albumins on hepatitis B virus particles co-occurring with HBeAg.

A receptor for polymerized human serum albumin was demonstrated on Dane particles as well as on 20-nm hepatitis B surface antigen particles, isolated from asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B virus who were positive for HBeAg. In contrast, such receptor was not born by 20-nm hepatitis B surface antigen particles obtained from carriers positive for antibody to HBeAg. Hepatitis B surface antigen particles with the receptor were heavier than those without, and when treated with pronase, they became lighter and lost the receptor. The receptor is responsible for the agglutination of erythrocytes coated with polymerized human serum albumin by the serum of patients with Type B hepatitis and asymptomatic carriers, which have been attributed to autoantibodies directed to denatured albumin molecules. When albumin fractions of chimpanzees were polymerized with glutaraldehyde, they also bound with the receptor on hepatitis B surface antigen. Polymerized albumin fractions of all the other experimental animals without susceptibility to hepatitis B virus, however, failed to bind with the receptor. These results seem to suggest a possible role of the receptor on Dane particles (presently accepted hepatitis B virions) for polymerized albumin molecules in infecting hepatocytes both in humans and chimpanzees.