Agarose gel filtration of concentrated fecal extracts containing virus-like particles associated with hepatitis A.

Virus-like particles shown to be associated with hepatitis A infection were recently visualized by immune electron microscopy in human and chimpanzee acute-phase fecal extracts. Agarose gel filtration of concentrated chimpanzee fecal extracts containing those 27-nm diameter particles separated more than 99% of the high molecular weight fecal impurities into two major peaks as determined by absorbance at 280 and 260 nm. The hepatitis A-associated particles were found between these two peaks by both immune electron microscopy and a new immunoradiometric assay.