Association of e antigen with Dane particle DNA in sera from asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen.

Abstract

Sera containing hepatitis B surface antigen from 30 asymptomatic [human] blood donors were assayed for e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to e antigen (anti-HBe) by rheophoresis. Fourteen samples (47%) had detectable HBeAg, 10 (33%) had anti-HBe and 6 (20%) had neither. DNA was extracted from 26 of these sera and assayed for its ability to anneal to a [32P]-DNA probe that is a copy of Dane particle DNA. All 10 HBeAg-positive samples tested contained DNA that formed specific hybrids with the DNA probe, as did 1 of 10 anti-HBe-positive samples. Hybridization was not detected in 9 sera containing anti-HBe and 6 sera without HBeAg or anti-HBe. Because the Dane particle is thought to be the hepatitis B virus, this association between HBeAg positivity and Dane particle DNA shows that e antigen is probably a marker of the presence of the virus and, consequently, potential infectivity.