Failure to detect naturally occurring serum inhibitors of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase.

Sera of patients with past or ongoing hepatitis -B virus infection were tested for the presence of inhibitors of hepatitis -B virus-specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerase activity. None of the sera tested, which included those from anti-hepatitis B surface- and anti-hepatitis B core antigen-positive hemophiliacs, anti-hepatitis Bc antigen-positive hepatitis B surface antigen carriers, patients with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive chronic active hepatitis, hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hemodialysis patients, tumor patients with minimal hepatitis, patients with acute type B, type A, and type non-A, non-B hepatitis and individuals with autoimmune phenomena, contained inhibitors of DNA polymerase activity. This implies that the DNA polymerase test is not affected when utilized to quantitate DNA-containing Dane particles. In addition, there is no evidence that inhibitors of DNA polymerase activity play some pathogenic role in the course of hepatitis B virus infection.