Virus-associated receptors for polymerized human serum albumin in acute and in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

The receptor for polymerized human albumin, recently identified on the hepatitis B virus, was studied by hemagglutination in 89 patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infection. The receptor, which was differentiated from antialbumin antibodies by immunofluorescence and hemagglutination inhibition, was detected mainly in patients with active virus replication, independently of hepatitis B surface antigen titer. Thirteen of 20 uncomplicated acute hepatitis B cases were positive at clinical onset (mean log2 titer +/- SD: 4.20 +/- 2.46) but became negative during the acute phase, while 5 patients who progressed to chronic hepatitis had significantly higher receptor titers at onset (7.0 +/- 0.0, p less than 0.01) and remained positive afterwards. In chronic hepatitis B virus infection, the receptor was detected in 17 of 30 patients with chronic active hepatitis, in 5 of 12 with chronic persistent hepatitis, and in 2 of 16 healthy carriers. Among hepatitis B e antigen positive cases a wide range in receptor levels was observed, and in longitudinal studies most patients with low initial titers seroconverted to hepatitis B e antibody while patients with higher titers remained persistently hepatitis B e antigen positive. These results indicate that the virus receptor for polyalbumin may represent a useful marker in hepatitis B e antigen positive acute and chronic hepatitis B.