title: Expression of pre-S1, pre-S2, S and X peptides in relation to viral replication in livers with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: The expression of large (pre-S1), middle (pre-S2), major S (S) polypeptides of the envelope (HBs) and X peptides of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was investigated in 37 liver specimens with chronic hepatitis B by indirect immunoperoxidase staining. Primary antisera utilized were polyclonal ones against HBs (poly-HBs), core (HBc) and X and monoclonal ones against pre-S1, pre-S2 and S with (particle-S) or without (peptide-S) conformational structure. The localization of HBs proteins in hepatocytes was classified into three types: diffuse, membranous and inclusion. The peptide-S and pre-S2 were expressed at nearly the same frequency as poly-HBs in all types, whereas particle-S was found less frequently (18/29 cases) in the inclusion type, and pre-S1 was recognized relatively rarely (9/33 cases) in the membranous type. As for staining intensity, peptide-S and pre-S2 were almost identical to poly-HBs which stained the most strongly among all three staining types. Particle-S was similar to poly-HBs in the membranous type, but was weak in the inclusion type in the majority. While pre-S1 was stained in a similar intensity to poly-HBs in the diffuse and inclusion types, it was weak or negative in the membranous type. Thus, envelope particles indicated by particle-S staining appeared to be located most frequently in the membranous type, but their assembly might be suppressed in the inclusion type where pre-S1 was well expressed. The X peptide was more frequently detected in the liver with serum HBe antigen and/or HBV DNA. The X peptide was stained exclusively in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes and was correlated with the cytoplasmic HBc antigen. The X peptide was not observed differently between cases with and those without cirrhosis. This suggests that the expression of X peptide tends to occur with virus replication but not with disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shikata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000382:microbiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000032:analysis*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011498:Protein Precursors; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C057628:hepatitis B virus X protein; C050806:presurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigen; C050807:presurface protein 2, hepatitis B surface antigen