ABSTRACT
This paper is to report the result of using ELISA to detect HBsAg-IgM complex in the serum of patients with viral hepatitis B. A series of serum samples of 35 patients,including 29 acute,2 subacute severe and 4 chronic active cases were tested. 28 normal individuals were also tested as control.HBsAg-IgM complex was discovered in the sera of all the patients in the first one or two weeks of hospitalization. It disappeared from the sera of 24 patients (among whom 10 have been followed up for more than 3 to 6 months) who recovered completely after 4 weeks of treatment. The disappearance of the complex occurred long before the clearance of HBsAg and the returning to normal levels of other biochemical parameters. In 5 cases of acute hepatitis with the tendency to be chronic and in those subacute and chronic cases,HBsAg-IgM complex delayed to disappear and could be found in the sera even 6 months later. All the normal controls were negative.It is suggested that the detection of HBsAg-IgM complex in the serum of hepatitis B patient may be used not only as a criterion to evaluate the prognosis of acute cases but also as an index to determine whether the patient is suffering an active disease process.