Australia Antigen as a Marker of Propagation of the Serum Hepatitis Virus in Liver Cultures

Abstract

ATTEMPTS to isolate the human hepatitis viruses in tissue culture have resulted in a collection of “hepatitis-candidate” viruses, none of which has since been shown to be the causal agent of human hepatitis1. The discovery of Australia antigen provided a specific serological marker of infection with or carriage of the serum hepatitis virus, although the nature of the antigen remains unsettled2.