Recovery of Hepatitis B Antibody from Human Plasma Products Separated by a Modified Cohn Fractionation

Abstract

Hepatitis B immune globulin has been prepared for clinical trials in Sweden. The relative amount of antibodies to the hepatitis B antigen recovered in the respective fractionation steps was evaluated by hemagglutination, immunoelectro-osmophoresis and radial immunodiffusion. About one third of the antibody amount present in the original plasma pool was recovered in fraction II. Hepatitis B antigen was neither demonstrated in the various fractionation steps nor in the final immune globulin preparation.

A Sensitive Test for Antibody Against the Hepatitis B Core Antigen (Anti-HB(c))

“…26 sera taken from nine patients during the acute and convalescent stages of hepatitis B were also tested, as well as serum from two hyperimmunized chim panzees with 1:6,400 titers against HBsAg in hemagglutination assay [13]. Two lots of hepatitis B immune globulin being used in clinical trials in the USA [11] and Sweden [2] were also tested. sensitivity of the two assays.…”