Close Association Between Basal Cell Layer Antibodies and Hepatitis B Virus‐Associated Chronic Delta Infection

Abstract

Antibodies reacting in immunofluorescence with the basal cell layer of rat forestomach (BCLA) have been detected in 36 of 121 (30%) hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐mediated chronic liver disease (CLD), in 1 of 30 (3%) HBV‐negative CLD, in 3 of 36 (8%) alcoholic liver disease (with no correlation with serum HBV markers), in 1 of 25 (4%) primary biliary cirrhosis, in none of 19 HBV‐related HBsAg‐negative CLD and 60 healthy blood donors. Of 352 hospitalized patients with miscellaneous diseases (including immunological conditions), the antibodies were found in four (1%). In the 36 BCLA positive cases from HBV‐mediated CLD, evidence of chronic delta infection was found in 34. The overall prevalence of BCLA in 68 delta cases was 50% (58% in chronic active hepatitis, 46% in cirrhosis), and in 28 delta negative cases was 4% (p < 0.00002). BCLA of delta cases were mainly of the IgG class (38 of 41 sera), and high titers (up to 40,960) were found in the majority (66% >1:640). The high titer BCLA has to be considered a marker of chronic delta infection in HBV cases. Copyright © 1984 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases