Study of IgG subclass profiles of anti-HBs in populations with different HBV infection status

To study IgG-specific subclasses of hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (anti-HBs), in different populations in Taiwan, a comparison was made between 104 chronic carriers (60 male and 44 female) and 439 recovered individuals (247 male and 192 female). Biochemical analyses of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were also performed. Among the 104 chronic carriers, 21 patients had abnormal ALT and AST levels (> 25 IU/ml). When comparing the patients with abnormal ALT and AST levels to chronic carriers with normal ALT and AST levels, no statistical difference was observed for anti-HBs levels (p > 0.05). The IgG subclass pattern of the relative anti-HBs IgG subclass titers was IgG1 > IgG3 = IgG4 in both chronic carriers and recovered individuals (p < 0.05). IgG1 is the predominant anti-HBs antibody after HBV infection, in either chronic carriers or in HBV-cured individuals. This finding is partly inconsistent with data reported from other group who suggested in individuals naturally infected, the anti-HBs IgG consists mainly of IgG3 and IgG1. In contrast to that of our previous studies of anti-HBe and anti-HBc, the mean OD values of anti-HBs total IgG, and all IgG subclasses except for IgG2, of either males or females, were significantly higher in recovered individuals than in chronic carriers, while the mean OD values of anti-HBe and anti-HBc were significantly higher in chronic carriers than in recovered individuals (P < 0.05). The IgG subclass profile of anti-HBs in chronic carriers was not changed with liver inflammation and was independent of sex and age, except in individuals with abnormal ALT and AST for whom anti-HBs IgG1 was not significantly higher than IgG3 (p > 0.05), in spite of that whose mean O.D. value is higher.