Determination of hepatitis B virus DNA in serum by molecular hybridization

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was detected by direct spotting of alkali-denatured serum on a nitrocellulose filter and molecular hybridization with cloned HBV DNA as the probe. Measurement of the autoradiographic signals as the intensity of hybridization allowed the quantitation of HBV DNA content in serum specimens in reference to cloned HBV DNA. Direct spotting of denatured serum was approximately three times as sensitive as the conventional method in which proteinase-treated serum was extracted with phenol-chloroform. The intensity of hybridization with 25 specimens of HB virion concentrates correlated well with DNA polymerase activity (r = 0.89, P less than 0.01).