METHOD FOR PREDICTING THE OUTCOME OF HEPATITIS B INFECTION

摘要

The present invention is concerned with prognosis of the development of Hepatitis B infection. The method according to the invention may also be used to monitor antiviral therapy with, for example, antiviral compounds like alpha-interferon. The present invention is based on the finding that the presence of specific biomolecules able to form complexes with HBeAg is a prognostic marker for the further development of an acute Hepatitis B infection. It has been found that based on the presence or absence of said specific biomolecules or complexes of said biomolecules and HBeAg during the acute phase of infection it can be predicted whether patients will recover and clear the virus after acute infection or will develop a chronic infection. The present invention therefore involves the use of an assay for the detection of circulating complexes comprising specific biomolecules bound to HBeAg in a method for predicting the course of infection in patients with an acute HBV infection. The present invention provides a new method for the prognosis of the development of Hepatitis B infection which can also be used to monitor therapy with antiviral agents and to indicate what the effect of such therapy is.