[Development of an enzyme assay for detection of hepatitis B virus core IGM antibodies].

Detection of IgM anti-core (anti-HBcAg) antibodies of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is an useful marker for hepatitis B virus (HBV) acute infection. The aim of this study was to perform an immunodiagnostic assay for the detection of IgM anti-HBcAg antibodies. Hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) was produced by a recombinant clone of Escherichia coli and used for the development of the immunoassay. An IgM capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was selected for the detection of IgM anti-HBcAg antibodies. A total of 110 human plasma or sera were tested by the capture EIA and a commercial assay. The capture EIA yielded 99% of sensitivity and 93% specificity, when compared with the commercial test. The capture EIA developed here is of interest for epidemiological studies, particularly for endemic regions in South America.