A New Antigen-Antibody System

Abstract

A new antigen-antibody system was recently described in hepatitis B surface antigen (HB_sAg)-positive sera. Despite indications of heterogeneity in specificity, the designations "eantigen" and "eantibodies" are used for the system as such in this article. Eight of 17 long-term carriers of HB_sAg with a histological picture of chronic persistent hepatitis or chronic aggressive hepatitis carried theeantigen, while none had demonstrableeantibodies in serum. Ten of 12 healthy carriers with e antibodies were blood donors who had donated 95 units of blood; none of these carriers was associated with a reported case of posttransfusion hepatitis. In five individuals in the incubation stage of hepatitis B,eantigen appeared simultaneously with HB_sAg but before the rise in transaminase levels. This finding further linkseantigen to hepatitis B. (JAMA231:356-359, 1975)