Antigen-specific detection of HBsAg-containing immune-complexes in sera from chronic active hepatitis patients with hepatitis B virus persistent infection by enzyme-immunoassay (EIA).

Clq levels in immune complexes (IC) were determined by a new enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) method to estimate serum antigen-specific HBsAg-containing immune complexes (specific HBsAg-IC). Serum was used from 15 hepatitis patients with persistent hepatitis B virus infection, 2 patients with non-B type chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and 5 healthy persons. This EIA technique detected and assayed HBsAg-IC in patients with hepatitis. Clq levels in specific HBsAg-IC were higher than optical density (OD) 5.00 in 10 of 15 patients, and all 10 patients had CAH and were positive Fc reactive antibody to liver cell membrane. In the other 5 patients Clq levels in specific HBsAg-IC were lower than OD 5.00, and 3 of them had asymptomatic carrier with non-specific reactive hepatitis and 2 had inactive liver cirrhosis.