Biophysical characterization of the adr subtype of hepatitis B antigen and preparation of anti-r sera in rabbits.

The biophysical properties of the adr subtype of HBSAg were determined and found to be identical to those of the adw and ayw phenotypes. These properties were used to purify the 22 nm spherical form of HBSAg/adr from the serum of a chronic antigen carrier by using zonal centrifuge techniques. The purified antigen was injected into 15 rabbits which were bled weekly to follow the development of antibodies to HBSAg by hemagglutination, and to the subtype determinants of HBSAg by counterelectrophoresis and agar gel diffusion (AGD) assays. From these data and two pilot studies to produce anti-w using an adw and an ayw antigen the relative immunogenicities of the various HBSAg determinants could be ranked as a greater than r greater than d greater than y greater than w. A selected pool of the sera from the rabbits immunized with HBSAg/adr was prepared as an interim reference reagent; when diluted 1:4 in saline and tested by AGD, it contains anti-a and anti-r without demonstrable anti-d or anti-normal human serum activity.