title: Serum hepatitis B viral DNA in HBsAg-positive hepatocellular carcinoma treated with interferon or adriamycin.
abstract: Sera from 31 HBsAg-positive Chinese patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were tested for hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) by means of dot hybridisation and Southern blot technique. HBV DNA probes were prepared from human plasma. Eighteen of the patients were HBeAb-positive, 12 were HBeAg-positive and one case had neither marker. Serial specimens were obtained from 16 cases over 5-42 weeks, while the patients were treated with recombinant leukocyte A interferon (rIFN-A) or adriamycin. Seven patients (2 HBeAg-positive, 5 HBeAb-positive) were positive for HBV DNA. In two patients HBV DNA and HBV DNA polymerase (DNAp) appeared in serum weeks after rIFN-A or adriamycin treatment was started. In two other cases, HBV DNA that was initially present disappeared during rIFN-A treatment. In a fifth patient HBV DNA persisting after adriamycin treatment diminished after change of treatment to rIFN-A. With one possible exception the HBV DNA detectable by Southern blot technique was composed chiefly of sequences 2.2-3.2 kb size indicating the presence of unintegrated DNA forms. DNAp activities were raised in the presence of HBV DNA in 4 patients. These findings show that HBV replication can be activated or suppressed in advanced HCC. Treatment with rIFN-A may have been effective in suppressing HBV DNA synthesis, but the number of cases studied was too small to arrive at a definite conclusion on this point.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007370:Interferon Type I; D004317:Doxorubicin