Affiliation:
1. Division of Blood and Blood Products, Bureau of Biologics, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland
2. Wellcome Research Laboratories, Beckenham, Kent, England
Abstract
Two distinct viral antigens are associated with the hepatitis B virus: the hepatitis B surface antigen (HB
s
Ag, Australia antigen) and the hepatitis B core antigen (HB
c
Ag). HB
s
Ag, purified from the serum of asymptomatic human HB
s
Ag carriers, and HB
c
Ag, purified from the liver of a chimpanzee acutely infected with hepatitis B virus, were examined by serological and immune electron microscopic methods. Antisera raised against HB
s
Ag reacted with the outer, surface component of the Dane particle and with the 20-nm spherical and tubular particles present in HB
s
Ag-positive serum, but not with the internal component of the Dane particle or with purified HB
c
Ag particles. Antisera raised against purified HB
c
Ag particles reacted with the internal component of the Dane particle and with HB
c
Ag, but not with the surface of the Dane particle or with the 20-nm spherical and tubular particles associated with HB
s
Ag. Purified HB
c
Ag particles, 27 nm in diameter, demonstrated distinct subunits. The infectious form of hepatitis B virus appears to be represented by the 42-nm Dane particle composed of a 27-nm nucleocapsid core component (HB
c
Ag) surrounded by an antigenically and morphologically distinct lipoprotein surface component (HB
s
Ag).
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Virology,Insect Science,Immunology,Microbiology
Reference19 articles.
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2. The finding of virus-like particles in two Australia-antigen positive human livers;Almeida J. D.;Microbios,1970
3. Transmission of viral hepatitis, type B, to chimpanzees.;Barker L. F.;J. Infect. Dis.,1973
4. Hepatitis and leukemia. Their relation to Australia antigen;Blumberg B. S.;Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med.,1968
5. Separation and purification of Hepatitis-associated antigen into morphologic types by zonal ultracentrifugation;Bond H. E.;J. Infect. Dis.,1972
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