Additional Specificities of Australia Antigen and the Possible Identification of Hepatitis Carriers

Abstract

IN 1964 (ref. 1), we identified an antibody which is common in the blood of transfused haemophiliacs and which reacts with an antigen (first identified in an Australian aborigine, thus “Australia antigen”) found in some human sera². Australia antigen, Au(1), is found transiently in the sera of many patients with acute viral hepatitis^3–6 (13 per cent in infectious hepatitis, 34 per cent of post transfusion hepatitis^7–9). This association with hepatitis has been confirmed by other workers using reference antisera from our laboratory (refs. 10 and 11, and unpublished results of Vierucci). Okochi and Murakami¹⁰ used an anti-Australia antiserum from a transfused patient which seems to be identical with reference sera we have exchanged. The “SH antigen” recently described by Prince is identical with Australia antigen¹¹. In addition to its presence in acute viral hepatitis, Australia antigen is found in patients with some forms of leukaemia² and Down's syndrome (who have chronic anicteric hepatitis)^2,3,12,13. It is also found in 5–20 per cent of apparently normal populations in the tropics and south-east Asia^2,9,14, who may be hepatitis carriers¹⁰.