HBsAg carrier infants with serum anti‐HBc negativity

Abstract

A total of 128 HBsAg carrier infants born to HBeAg‐positive HBsAg carrier mothers were tested for serum HBsAg, HBeAg, hepatitis B virus DNA and anti‐HBc. Ninety‐three of them had received hepatitis B vaccination. Anti‐HBc had been found to be negative in sera of 12 infants who were HBsAg, HBeAg and hepatitis B virus DNA positive during the follow‐up period of 3 to 5 years. Liver damage, as measured by serum ALT levels, was found to be normal among the 12 HBsAg carrier infants with serum anti‐HBc negativity, whereas 39.7% of the 116 anti‐HBc‐positive HBsAg carrier infants had abnormal ALT levels during the follow‐up period. Anti‐HBe and anti‐HBs also were not detected in sera of these anti‐HBc‐negative HBsAg carrier infants. Thus, HBsAg carrier infants with anti‐HBc negativity probably result from immune incompetency of the hepatitis B virus antigens. Copyright © 1989 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases