Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) technique has been introduced in the detection for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HGsAg) in recent years.
The present trial was carried out to determine the feasibility of using new EIA technique (Hepanostika) for detection of HBsAg in serum and excrets of HBsAg carrier, in comparison with RIA (Ausria II) and RPHA (Auscell, Abott. Reverscell, Meguroken. and Eisaicell, Eisai).
Results obtained were as follows:
One hundred and ninty six out of 2, 768 sera of healthy individuals were HBsAg positive in EIA and RIA.
Five out of 196 positive sera in these methods were negative in three RPHA methods.
Twenty eight out of 222 sera from patients with liver diseases were HBsAg positive in EIA, RIA and Auscell. Two of these positive sera were negative in Reverscell and Eisaicell.
Serial survey of three patients with acute hepatitis B revealed that the sera remained positive for 1-2 weeks in EIA and RIA, while three methods of RPHA could not detect HBsAg.
Most striking was that the sera from a patient with chronic persistent hepatitis B remained positive for 6 months by Auscell, 10 months by EIA, 14 months by RIA even after the methods by Reverscell and Eisaicell had failed to detect the presence of HBsAg.
It was noted that HBsAg was detected in 20 and 16 out of 61 saliva samples by RIA and EIA respectively, and in 5 out of 6 ascites samples by both methods.
These results indicate that sensitivity of Hepanostika might be equal or less than. of RIA and more than that of RPHA for detection of HBsAg.
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