Detection of anti-HBc specific IgG/IgM in sera of hepatoma patients

In order to estimate anti-HBc specific IgG and IgM in sera of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 14 cases of the sera in one group were compared with 20 sera from controls in another. These controls had been detected with a sensitive radioimmunoassay (Abbott kits) for HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc. All of the sera showed high concentrations of anti-HBc; 14 of the 20 control sera were HBsAg positive and the remaining 6 controls were HBsAg negative. Each of the tested sera was fractionated by sucrose gradient centrifugation, and each fraction was examined by complement-fixation test (CF) for anti-HBc titration. The amount of IgG and IgM was measured by single radial immunodiffusion (Behring Co.). The concentrations of IgG in 14 hepatoma cases were significantly greater in 20 controls, and the concentrations of IgM were the same in the two groups. The CF titers of anti-HBc in fractions between two groups showed statistical differences at 1:64 especially in F-2 to F-4 (x² test, p 2 test, p