Correlation of hepatocyte expression of hepatitis B viral antigens with histological activity and viral titer in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: an immunohistochemical study

Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Banumathi RamakrishnaGeorge Kurian

Abstract

The localization of hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen to the nucleus or cytoplasm of hepatocytes has biological implications for viral packaging and persistence. This study examined the relationship between the localization of hepatitis B virus antigens, histological activity, and viral titer in patients with chronic HBV infection. Liver biopsies from 110 patients with chronic HBV infection were studied. Ishak's scoring system was used for the histological analysis. The localization of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and the percentage of hepatocytes stained positive by immunohistochemistry were correlated with viral titer, histological activity, and fibrosis indices using Spearman rank correlation. In 88 hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-positive individuals, the nuclear localization of HBcAg correlated significantly with DNA titer (r = 0.435, P = 0.001) and negatively with fibrosis (r = -0.297, P = 0.005). The cytoplasmic localization correlated significantly with histological activity (r = 0.211, P = 0.049). In 22 HBeAg-negative individuals, the nuclear localization of HBcAg correlated significantly with histological activity (r = 0.625, P = 0.002), DNA titer (r = 0.651, P = 0.009), an...Continue Reading

References

Jul 1, 1988·Hepatology : Official Journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases·H C HsuH C Hsieh
Jun 1, 1995·Journal of Hepatology·K IshakR N MacSween
Dec 11, 1997·The New England Journal of Medicine·W M Lee

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