Immunoglobulin and hepatitis B surface antigen‐specific circulating immune complexes in chronic hepatitis with hepatitis delta virus infection

IgM, IgG, and HBsAg containing circulating immune complexes (CIC) were determined, by conglutinin (K) and C1q assays, for assessing the role of CIC in hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in 54 HBsAg‐negative controls and 85 HBsAg‐positive patients with chronic hepatitis. The prevalence of HDV markers (HDV antigen and anti‐HD) was 24.70% (21/85). CIC were a common feature of HDV infection with 95.24% of patients having at least one abnormal test resutlt. The prevalence of elevated IgM‐K, IgG‐K, IgM‐C1q, and IgG‐C1q CIC were 85.71, 85.71, 57.14, and 85.71%, respectively. The prevalence of IgM class CIC were statistically higher in patients with HDV infection than in those without (P = .001 for the K assay and P = .023 for the C1q assay). There was no difference in the prevalence of IgG class CIC. Patients with HDV infection also have significantly higher median levels of IgM K‐CIC (P = .002), IgG K‐CIC (P = .049), and IgG C1q‐CIC (P = .008). In patients with HDV infection, there was positive correlation between IgM C1q‐CIC and transminase levels (r = .519, P = .016 for AST; r = .500, P = .021 for ALT). There was no difference in the prevalence of HBsAg containing CIC between patients with HDV infection (76.19%) and those without (74.60%). In conclusion, IgM class CIC are the major CIC and correlate with disease activity in HDV infection. CIC may play a role in the pathogenesis of HDV infection.

[1]  S. Hadler,et al.  Histologic Studies of Severe Delta Agent Infection in Venezuelan Indians , 2007, Hepatology.

[2]  H. Margolis,et al.  Characteristics of chemically aggregated IgM in an immunoglobulin class-specific immune complex assay. , 1987, Journal of immunological methods.

[3]  J. Bosch,et al.  Evaluation of aztreonam in the treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with cirrhosis , 1986, Hepatology.

[4]  D. Sansonno,et al.  Autoantibody to albumin of type G and M in acute and chronic viral hepatitis. , 1986, Hepato-gastroenterology.

[5]  F. Hollinger,et al.  Detection of an IgM antiidiotype directed against anti‐HBs in hepatitis B patients , 1985, Hepatology.

[6]  M. Rizzetto,et al.  Risk of post-transfusion infection with the hepatitis delta virus. A multicenter study. , 1985, The New England journal of medicine.

[7]  E. Celis,et al.  HBsAg‐Serum Protein Complexes Stimulate Immune T Lymphocytes More Efficiently Than Do Pure HBsAg , 1984, Hepatology.

[8]  C R Howard,et al.  Chronic liver disease: the detection and characterization of circulating immune complexes. , 1983, Immunology.

[9]  K. Isselbacher,et al.  Monoclonal radioimmunoassays for hepatitis B surface antigen: demonstration of hepatitis B virus DNA or related sequences in serum and viral epitopes in immune complexes. , 1982, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[10]  D. Bradley,et al.  Purification of acute phase anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) IgM and development of an IgM solid-phase radioimmunoassay for the detection of HAV. , 1982, Journal of immunological methods.

[11]  R. Purcell,et al.  Experimental HBV and δ infections of chimpanzees: Occurrence and significance of intrahepatic immune complexes of HBcAg and δ antigen , 1981 .

[12]  D. Rosenstreich,et al.  The role of macrophages in the acute-phase response: SAA inducer is closely related to lymphocyte activating factor and endogenous pyrogen. , 1981, Cellular immunology.

[13]  V. Jones,et al.  Isolation of immune complexes and characterisation of their constituent antigens and antibodies in some human diseases: a review. , 1981, Journal of immunological methods.

[14]  E. Holborow,et al.  Intrinsically stable IgG aggregates. , 1981, Journal of immunological methods.

[15]  M. Devey,et al.  Measurement of antigen-antibody complexes in mouse sera by conglutinin, C1q and rheumatoid factor solid phase binding assays. , 1980, Journal of immunological methods.

[16]  C. Abrass,et al.  Non-specificity of circulating immune complexes in patients with acute and chronic liver disease. , 1980, Clinical and experimental immunology.

[17]  J. Ferluga,et al.  ROLE OF MONONUCLEAR INFILTRATING CELLS IN PATHOGENESIS OF HEPATITIS , 1978, The Lancet.

[18]  A. Alberti,et al.  T-lymphocyte cytotoxicity to HBsAg-coated target cells in hepatitis B virus infection , 1977, Gut.

[19]  J. Yates,et al.  PNEUMOCYSTIS CARINII IN A HUSBAND AND WIFE , 1975, The Lancet.

[20]  J. Hoofnagle,et al.  The interaction of rheumatoid factor with hepatitis B surface antigen-antibody complexes. , 1975, Clinical and experimental immunology.

[21]  Osborn Ml.  Letter: Inadequate mothers. , 1974, Lancet.

[22]  E. Engvall,et al.  Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Elisa. 3. Quantitation of specific antibodies by enzyme-labeled anti-immunoglobulin in antigen-coated tubes. , 1972, Journal of immunology.

[23]  N. Abrescia,et al.  Prevalence of HBV and HDV markers in families of patients with HBsAg+ chronic liver disease. , 1987, Progress in clinical and biological research.

[24]  F. Dubois,et al.  [Delta hepatitis]. , 1987, Presse medicale.

[25]  L. Bianchi,et al.  Electron microscopic studies of delta infection. , 1983, Progress in clinical and biological research.

[26]  Timothy J. Huber,et al.  Specific IgM class antibody production following infection with cytomegalovirus , 1982, Journal of medical virology.

[27]  R. Purcell,et al.  Experimental HBV and delta infections of chimpanzees: occurrence and significance of intrahepatic immune complexes of HBcAg and delta antigen. , 1981, Hepatology.