[The specific serological profile in hepatitis B virus infection in children]

Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) has a very well known specific serologic profile. In the last years the molecular biology methods reveal some "particular serological profiles" by genomic mutation. One particular profile consists in the absence of anti-HBc total antibodies simultaneously with the presence of HBsAg. Our tested group consists of 372 children aged 0.1 to 15 years. The presence of HBsAg was determined by ELISA "sandwich" and confirmed by neutralisation test. For HIV infection we used two ELISA tests (competitive and indirect) and the Western Blot test for confirmation. Of the total, there were 13 children HBsAg positive and without anti-HBc antibody (3.49% respectively), 7 of the 13 children (53.8%) were dystrophic and 4 were HIV positive (30.76%). From 372 cases, 104 were HBsAg positive (27.9%) and 53 (14.2%) of them had chronic hepatitis.

1. The particular serologic profile requires the testing of all serological markers specific for HBV. 2. This particular serologic profile is correlated with HIV positive status and dystrophy.