abstract |
What is disclosed is a protein immunoreactive with antibodies raised against HBsAg, which protein has the formula: X-S-Y, S represents a peptide residue of the hepatitis B virus S-protein, Y is OH or NH2 and X is selected from the pre-S1/pre-S2 peptide residue, the pre S2 peptide residue and a fragment of the pre-S1/pre-S2 peptide residue containing at least a 9 amino acid portion of the C-terminal sequence of pre-S2. |