title: Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction in HBsAg negative Senegalese patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary liver cancer.
abstract: The polymerase chain reaction was used to search for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA sequences in the sera of HBsAg-negative Senegalese patients suffering from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Amplified HBV-DNA sequences were detected by hybridization with a digoxigenin-labelled HBV-DNA probe. HBV-DNA was detected in 17% of HBsAg negative Senegalese subjects from the general population and in 44% and 58% of the patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHCC) respectively. In the control group, amplified HBV-DNA was detected in 25% of the subjects without HBsAg and anti-HBs antibodies, and in 6% of subjects positive for anti-HBs antibodies. This study confirmed the hypothesis that there is an etiologic link between HBV and PHCC in HBsAg-negative patients.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Virologie de Tours, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coursaget
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Cann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leboulleux
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Diop
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Coll
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002353:Carrier State; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D012675:Senegal
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides