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. 1984 Mar;43(3):1000–1005. doi: 10.1128/iai.43.3.1000-1005.1984

Delta hepatitis agent: structural and antigenic properties of the delta-associated particle.

F Bonino, B Hoyer, J W Shih, M Rizzetto, R H Purcell, J L Gerin
PMCID: PMC264284  PMID: 6698598

Abstract

Delta agent (delta) was serially passaged to a second and third hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier chimpanzee, using as inoculum the peak delta antigen (delta Ag) serum of an animal previously infected with human serum. The characteristics of serially transmitted delta Ag were similar to those described in first-passage animals. It was consistently detected before the development of anti-delta, in association with a 35- to 37-nm subpopulation of HBsAg particles and a unique low-molecular-weight (5.5 X 10(5)) RNA. RNase susceptibility of the delta-associated RNA and release of delta Ag activity upon treatment of delta-associated particles with detergent revealed that this particle is organized into a virion-like form with the RNA and delta Ag as internal components within a coat of HBsAg. Surface determinants of the delta-associated particle other than HBsAg were not detected by radioimmunoprecipitation experiments, using sera of humans and chimpanzees convalescent from delta hepatitis. The HBsAg-associated particle is the "candidate agent" of delta hepatitis.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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