Distribution of Polyclonal Hypergammaglobulinemia in Different Stages of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

ABSTRACT Background:Polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia (PHGG) is commonly associated with liver disorders, andit could signify enhanced or defective immune system. This study was to determine the distribution and significance of PHGG in phases of chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB). Methods:Serum protein electrophoresis and colorimetric protein were assayed in 80 inactive (IA), 45 immune clearance (IC) and 17 immune escape (IE) CHB participants. ANOVA and Student’s t-test were used for the comparisons of data, while area under curve (AUC) was used to assess the performance. Results:A significant elevation was observed in gamma globulin in the three phases studied in relation to non-HBV infected control. The incidence of PHGG in different phases of CHB are; IA (61.3%), IC (33.3%) and IE (29.4%).IA phase; the least severe phase has the highest incidence of PHGG. Conclusion:Occurrence PHGG seems to signify enhances immune responses. Also, it could be used to some extent to predict IA phase. Keywords: Polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Electrophoresis, CHB Statement of novelty: This study utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of protein assay to evaluate the patterns of PHGG in untreated and categorized CHB infections.