Removal of hepatitis-B-virus infectivity from factor-IX complex by hepatitis-B immune-globulin. Experiments in chimpanzees.

Hepatitis-B-virus infectivity can be removed from a heat-labile clotting factor concentrate by the addition of hepatitis-B immune-globulin. Three chimpanzees were each inoculated with samples of factor-IX complex (factor IX) which had been deliberately contaminated with 10(3.5) chimpanzee infectious doses of hepatitis-B virus from a known infectious inoculum. Two of these factor IX samples had been incubated with hepatitis-B immune-globulin after the addition of hepatitis-B virus. 10 weeks after inoculation hepatitis-B infection developed in the chimpanzee inoculated with untreated factor IX. Hepatitis B did not develop in the two which received treated factor IX; no serloigical evidence of hepatitis B could be detected during 52 weeks of evaluation.