Passive charcoal agglutination-inhibition test for hepatitis B surface antigen.

A new test for the detection of hepatitis B surface antigen is evaluated. The passive charcoal agglutination-inbition test uses charcoal particles that have been coated with hepatitis B surface antigen. Agglutination of the sensitised particles by antibody is prevented by the presence of antigen in the test serum. Results of the study show that the test is as sensitive as counterimmuno-electrophoresis. It is simple to perform and relatively quick. It may be a useful test for screening patients with hepatitis in a small hospital or private group practice.