Characterization of anti-HBs antigen monoclonal antibodies and application to the subtyping.

Several monoclonal antibodies were produced against purified HBs antigens, subtype adr adw and ayw. The subtype specificity of these nine antibodies was characterized by the passive hemagglutination inhibition method. The specificity of these anti-HBs monoclonal antibodies was analyzed with use of 31 HBs antigen panels. Five of the nine monoclonal antibodies had a specificity against the group a-determinant of HBs antigen. Two antibodies were demonstrated to have anti-r specificity and another two were anti-w.One of these anti-a monoclonal antibodies, in its reaction pattern, resembled anti-a polyclonal antibady derived from human serum. This anti-a monoclonal antibody was used as the standard to determine HBs antigen subtyping, The results nearly agree perfectly with results obtained when anti-a polyclonal antibodies were used as the standard.Using these monoclones, we analysed HBs antigen subtypes of asymptomatic carriers. Although the antigen titer changed at various time in each parson, the ratio of each subtype determinant was unchanged. However, three anti-a monoclonal antibodies showed a different reaction pattern against “a” determinant of individual carriers, and therefore “a” determinant of HBs antigen might be subdivided, and should be analyzed in more detail by monoclonal antibodies.