OBJECTIVEHepatitis Delt a Virus (HDV) antigen is widely used as a capture antigen in ELISAs for the identification of HDV infection; large amounts of recombinant HDV antigen with active antigenicity are required for this purpose.

METHODSReconstruct the gene of HDV antigen based on the bias code of Escherichia coli, the recombinant protein expresses by high-density fermentation with fed-batch feeding strategy, and purify by immobilized metal chromatography. The sensitivity and specificity of this antigen detect by ELISA method.

RESULTSThe expression of HDV antigen can reach 20% of the total cell mass in the soluble form. The recombinant HDV antigen can be conveniently purified (98%) by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) using the interaction between a His-tag and nickel ions. Production of recombinant HDV antigen can reach 0.5 g/L under conditions of high-density cell fermentation. Applied to the diagnostic ELISA method, the recombinant HDV antigen shows excellent sensitivity (97% for IgM and 100% for IgG) and specificity (100% for IgG and IgM) for the detection of anti-HDV antibodies.

CONCLUSIONExpression and purification the recombinant HDV antigen as a candidate protein for application in a diagnostic ELISA for HDV infection. Large-scale production of the protein can be achieved using the high-density fermentation strategy.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Hepatitis D ; diagnosis ; immunology ; virology ; Hepatitis Delta Virus ; immunology ; Hepatitis delta Antigens ; immunology ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDTo construct the pRSETB-HDAg recombinant expression plasmid and to obtain soluble hepatitis D virus antigen with high biological and antigenic activity.

METHODSHDAg gene fragment was inserted into fusion expression pRSET B vector that includes T7 promoter and a polyhistidine tag. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into host bacterium BL21 after induction with IPTG. The expression supernatant was purified by chelating affinity chromatography and the recombinant HDAg antigenic activity was detected by EIA.

RESULTSEIA detection using the recombinant HDAg showed strong positive reaction with hepatitis D patients sera. The positive rates of the EIA, compared with HDAg from USA and Hua Mei EIA kit in detecting 26 cases of anti-HDV positive reference sera, were 100%, 96.15% and 100%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONRecombinant plasmid for HDAg with good antigenicity was successfully constructed and could be used as hepatitis D antibody detection reagent.

Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Hepatitis Delta Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Hepatitis delta Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; metabolism

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection has been estimated as being approximately 5% among global HBsAg carriers. The anti-delta positive rate in Koreans had been reported as being 0.85% in 1985. While the prevalence of HBV has been decreased from nearly 10% to 5% during the past twenty years, there have been no more studies on the anti-delta prevalence in Koreans. The aim of this study was to estimate the anti-delta prevalence in Koreans and to study the clinical characteristics of anti-delta positive patients in a single center. METHODS: Serum anti-delta was measured in one hundred ninety four HBsAg-positive patients who were admitted to our hospital from February 2003 to August 2003. We checked the genotypes of the HBV in the anti-delta positive patients. The clinical features of the anti-delta positive patients were compared to those clinical features of the anti-delta negative patients from the aspect of age, gender, mode of transmission, the positivity of HBeAg and serum HBV DNA. RESULTS: Serum anti-delta was positive in seven patients among the 194 subjects, giving a 3.6% positive rate. Among these seven patients, six had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the other one had cholangiocarcinoma. All of the anti-delta positive patients had the C genotype of HBV. The anti-delta positive patients showed significantly suppressed HBV DNA replication compared to the anti-delta negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: In Koreans, anti-delta was positive mainly in HCC patients with an approximate prevalence of 4%, and this rate has not changed much for the past twenty years. HBV DNA replication was suppressed by HDV infection.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/virology ; English Abstract ; Female ; Hepatitis Antibodies/analysis ; Hepatitis D/complications/*epidemiology/immunology ; Hepatitis Delta Virus/immunology ; Hepatitis delta Antigens/analysis ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Liver Neoplasms/virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVETo clarify the relationship between fatal severe form hepatitis occurred during chronic hepatitis B and superinfections of hepatitis A, C, D or E virus as well as hepatitis B e system status and to adopt corresponding measures to reduce the mortality of chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSThis study detected the superinfections with hepatitis A, C, D or E virus and hepatitis B e system status in 219 patients with fatal severe form hepatitis occurred during chronic hepatitis B by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSThe superinfections with hepatitis A, C, D or E virus were found in 1.4% (3/219), 9.6% (21/219), 1.8% (4/219) and 30.1% (66/219) of the patients, respectively, altogether 42.9% (94/219); hepatitis E was prominent and steady in superinfection rate in recent ten years. The causes of 57.1% (125/219) patients were not clear. The positive rate of HBeAg and anti-HBe were 17.0% (16/94) and 54.2% (51/94) in the group of superinfections with hepatitis A, C, D or E virus; and were 27.2% (34/125) and 47.2% (59/125) in the group with unknown causes, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThese results suggested that the patients with superinfections reached 42.9% (94/219), and the superinfections may be a part of causes of fatal severe form hepatitis, and the mortality of chronic hepatitis B may be decreased by strict food sanitation and use of safe blood products. There were no significant relation between hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion and the fatal severe form hepatitis occurred during chronic hepatitis B.

Adult ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; genetics ; Female ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; physiology ; Hepatitis A virus ; genetics ; physiology ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; mortality ; virology ; Hepatitis Delta Virus ; genetics ; physiology ; Hepatitis E virus ; genetics ; physiology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Superinfection ; virology ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo obtain high yield and good antigenic activity of HDV L-Ag and to detect different regional patients' sera to test the purified antigen's antigenicity.

METHODSHepatitis delta virus' sequence was obtained from Inner Mongolian patient by using RT-PCR and PCR methods, PET43a was used and His-tag was added at the HDV L-Ag 5' and 3' to construct the recombinant expression plasmid, transform the plasmid into host bacterium BL21 and induce it with IPTG. The expression supernatant was purified by saturated (NH4)2SO4 and affinity chromatography. The activity and antigenicity of the expressed product were analyzed by using EIA.

RESULTSComparison of results obtained with detection by using the expressed protein coated plate and ABBOTT Murex anti-Delta (total) of 15 positive and 10 negative sera, the consistency was good (100%).

CONCLUSIONEIA proved that the purified antigen had good antigenicity, no serological difference was found in detection between different region's sera, therefore the purified delta antigen may be useful in diagnostic and other research.

Amino Acid Sequence ; China ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Hepatitis D ; blood ; virology ; Hepatitis Delta Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis delta Antigens ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; metabolism

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of the present study were to determine the outcomes of inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers over a 10-year study period and to elucidate the HBV serological profile of their family members. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical files of inactive HBsAg carriers followed up at the Department of Infectious Diseases of Kocatepe University Medical Faculty Hospital between March 2001 and January 2011. RESULTS: In total, 438 inactive HBsAg carriers were enrolled in this trial. The follow-up period was 33.7+/-22.5 months (mean+/-SD). Anti-hepatitis-B surface antibody seroconversion occurred in 0.7% of cases, while chronic hepatitis B was found in 0.5%. The anti-hepatitis-D virus (HDV) status was evaluated in 400 patients and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 430. It was found that 1% and 0.2% were positive for anti-HDV and anti-HCV, respectively. HBV serology was investigated in at least 1 family member of 334/438 (76.3%) patients. The HBsAg positivity rate was 34.6% in 625 family members of 334 patients. A comparison of the HBsAg positivity rates in terms of HBV DNA levels in index cases revealed that HBsAg seropositivity rates were higher in family members of HBV DNA-negative patients than in family members of HBV DNA-positive cases (P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The HBsAg positivity rate was higher in family members of inactive HBsAg carriers than in the general population; these family members therefore have a higher risk of HBV transmission. Furthermore, despite negative HBV DNA levels, transmission risk was not reduced in these patients, and horizontal transmission seems to be independent of the HBV DNA value.
Adult ; Antibodies/blood ; Carrier State ; DNA, Viral/analysis ; Family Health ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B Antibodies/blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/*blood ; Hepatitis B virus/genetics/immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*diagnosis/transmission/virology ; Hepatitis Delta Virus/immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies