title: [The presence of nucleotide sequences of the hepatitis B virus in peripheral lymphocytes of patients with acute hepatitis B].
abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA sequences were assessed in 26 patients with acute type B hepatitis, using dot-blot hybridization technique from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), during different phases of the illness. At clinical presentation, 15% of patients showed HBV-DNA sequences in PBMC, while serum HBV-DNA was detected in 58% of patients. During clinical improvement 50% of patients had HBV-DNA in PBMC but only 11.5% were positive for serum HBV-DNA. Twenty-three (88.5%) patients recovered and cleared HBV-DNA from serum and from PBMC; three (11.5%) patients with acute hepatitis progressing to chronicity showed persistently HBV-DNA sequences in serum and in PBMC. In conclusion, our study shows that HBV-DNA sequences may be found in PBMC, transiently in patients with acute hepatitis followed by recovery, persistently in patients with acute hepatitis progressing to chronicity.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Istituto di Medicina Interna.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figus
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mulargia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orgiana
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuboni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Angioni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens
vernacular_title: Presenza di sequenze nucleotidiche del virus dell'epatite B nei linfociti periferici di pazienti con epatite acuta di tipo B.