Anti-polymerized albumin antibodies-a test for the evaluation of hepatic function in HBs Ag-positive subjects.

A number of 681 sera collected from hepatic patients and apparently healthy subjects (recruits and blood donors) were tested by immunodiffusion (ID) and hemagglutination (HA) for the presence of anti-polymerized albumin antibodies (AAA). AAA positivity was compared within the categories of patients and healthy subjects, grouped according to the presence of HBsAg. In most of the hepatic patients and healthy subjects both ID and HA were either positive or negative. However, in certain apparently healthy HGsAg carriers, the absence of AAA in ID was associated with high AAA titers in HA. These data point to the possibility of using AAA in order to differentiate an actually healthy HGsAg carrier from a HBsAg carrier with hepatic lesions.