title: Persistent hepatitis B virus infection of mononuclear blood cells without concomitant liver infection. The liver transplantation model.
abstract: We have investigated the recurrence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 30 patients treated by orthotopic liver transplantation and given high doses of anti-HBs immunoglobulin. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay showed no evidence of HBV DNA sequences in the liver of 23/24 patients who remained serum HBsAg-negative during a mean follow-up of 13 months (2-24 months) after OLT. However, the liver scored positive in all the 6 individuals in whom HBsAG reappeared. The PCR assay identified HBV DNA sequences in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 7 of 11 subjects who were serum HBsAG-negative and liver HBV DNA-negative by PCR. Therefore, this application of the sensitive PCR assay demonstrates persistent infection of PBMC in the absence of liver HBV--thus OLT provides a model for studying the interaction between HBV, PBMC, and the liver.
authors.affiliation: U 163-Hybridotest, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Féray
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zignego
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bismuth
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reynes
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tiollais
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bismuth
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brechot
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens