title: Change of intrahepatic expression of hepatitis-B core antigen during the clinical course of type-B chronic hepatitis.
abstract: The intrahepatic expression of hepatitis-B core antigen (HBcAg) was investigated in 54 liver biopsy specimens from 24 chronic type-B hepatitis patients, by the peroxidase-anti-peroxidase technique. The HBcAg localization pattern in the hepatocyte correlated with the evolution of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) values. The clinical course were classified into three phases, as follows: pre-exacerbation phase (A phase), with minimal abnormal range of ALAT (40-100 KU) for 6 to 12 months; exacerbation phase (B phase) with elevated ALAT (more than 100 KU) for 3 to 6 months; and post-exacerbation and subsiding phase (C phase) for 3 months after phase B, showing decreased ALAT values. Nineteen of the 54 biopsied specimens belonged to the A phase, 21 to the B phase, and 14 to the C phase. In the A phase the hepatocytic HBcAg was variably expressed as nuclear, cytoplasmic, and membranous in location in the same specimens. In the B phase, HBcAg expression decreased in the nucleus, but increased in the cytoplasmic-membranous pattern. The intrahepatic HBcAg expression in the C phase decreased in all patterns. The mean level of ALAT in cases of cytoplasmic-membranous HBcAg expression was higher than that in cases of nuclear HBcAg expression. Four of six patients who underwent liver biopsies in the A, B, and C phases showed remarkable decreases of cytoplasmic and membranous HBcAg expression in the C phase. These findings suggest that cytoplasmic and membranous localization of HBcAg can be related to both liver cell injury and active inflammatory processes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Franca
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiyosawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sodeyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase