Study complement activity and humoral immune response in chronic hepatitis B patients

Abstract

Fifty (50) serum samples were collected from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who were admitted to Hepatology and Gastroenterology Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, aged from 20-65 years during the period from February / 2008 and the mid of February / 2009, also serum samples were collected from Fifty (50) healthy HBs Ag carrier was discovered accidentally through attending blood bank for donation of blood, aged from 18-52 years and served as a control group. In this study, the serum levels of immunoglobulins (Igs) including IgG ,IgM , IgA are evaluated in both groups . The results review that the median level of IgG and IgA is higher significantly in chronic patients than carrier group, whereas the median level of IgM is slightly increase in chronic patients than carrier group, on other hand, the serum complement components (C3 and C4) were evaluated in CHB patients in comparison to carrier group. It was found that there was a significant decrease in the levels of C3 and C4 among chronic group compared to carrier group. The results of this study indicate that serum complement and immunoglobulins activities was impaired in chronic hepatitis B patients.