Antiglobulin Antibodies and Anticomplementary Factors in Hepatitis B Antigenaemia

Abstract

A study of an apparently healthy population of Southern African Negroes showed that the HB antigen carrier state may predispose these subjects to produce a higher incidence of antiglobulin antibodies and anticomplementary factors. It is presumed that the anticomplementary factors represent excess HB antigen-antibody complexes in a modified form while the antiglobulin antibodies are the host’s humoral response to the modified complexes.

Anti‐Fab‘ Antibodies in Human Sera

“…The procedure used in the present study differs from the usual one in the method of inactivating the sera by heat. From our previous comparative studies we learned that subjects with HB antigenaemia possess a higher incidence of anticomplementary factors when tests are performed on serum heated for 1 h at 60 OC [13]. It was suggested that the heatinduced variety of anticomplementary factor probably represents excess antigen-antibody complexes in a modified form.…”