[Evaluation of an immunoenzymatic method for the simultaneous determination of HBsAg and anti-HBs].

In this study we have evaluated an enzymeimmunoassay for the simultaneous detection of HBsAg and anti-HBs. The EIA method was found to determine anti-HBs at titer of about 10 mIU/ml and HBsAg between 1.5 and 2.5 EU/ml for both ad and ay subtypes. Detection of HBsAg and anti-HBs by EIA and RIA in sera collected from healthy subjects and in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis showed a concordance, respectively, of 98.2 and 97.4%. The discrepancies were in part due to the higher sensitivity of RIA respect to EIA method, while in some cases EIA seems to detect anti-HBs earlier than RIA. The EIA method might be effectively employed in pre-vaccine screening and in the serological follow-up of individuals who received anti-hepatitis B vaccine.