Gel precipitin tests for hepatitis-B surface antigen. False positive reactions due to the presence of staphylococcal antigen in contaminated plasma samples.
Plasma samples contaminated with coagulase-positive staphylococci were found to give a false positive precipitin line for hepatitis-B surface antigen in gel tests. The staphylococcal antibody was found to be present in both normal immunoglobulin and anti-hepatitis-B surface antigen immunoglobulin preparations and also in many normal plasma samples.