title: [HBV DNA in mononuclear cells of peripheral blood in acute hepatitis B: a comparative analysis of Southern blot and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)].
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has been observed in all stages of liver disease. The data available on acute hepatitis patients are limited. We therefore focused our attention on the presence of HBV DNA sequences in PMBCs of 30 patients with acute type B hepatitis. Southern Blot analysis showed no HBV sequences in PMBCs, although the sensitivity of our method enabled us to detect as low as 1 pg of cloned HBV insert. On the other hand, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) demonstrated the presence of HBV related sequences in 14 out of 30 patients (5 HBeAg positive, 9 anti HBeAg positive). Our results indicate that the involvement of PMBCs with HBV during acute infection is not correlated with viral replication and occurs at a very low level, so that its detection by traditional Southern Blotting can prove ineffective.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Gastroenterologia, Università di Modena.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Scaglioni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melegari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pasquinelli
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
vernacular_title: HBV DNA nelle cellule mononucleate del sangue periferico in corso di epatite acuta B: analisi comparativa tra Southern blot e reazione polimerasica di catena (RPC).