MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO PRES2 AND PRES1 POLYPEPTIDES OF THE HEPATITIS B VIRAL ENVELOPE

摘要

Murine monoclonal antibodies are provided which bind specifically to the PreS1 and PreS2 polypeptides of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) complex and which are useful to assay for PreS1 or PreS2 in samples of physiological material. The antibodies can also be used to subtype HBV, to raise the immunogenicity of blood plasma against HBV, to measure anti-PreS1 and anti-PreS2 antibodies, and to identify and characterize antigenic epitopes of PreS1 and PreS2 which may be useful in HBV subunit vaccines.