Correlation between hepatic hepatitis B core antigen and serum hepatitis B virus-DNA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infections in Taiwan.
Paired liver biopsy specimens and serum samples from 76 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were taken for staining of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) by immunoperoxidase and testing of HBV-DNA by a spot hybridization technique, respectively. Thirty-two tissue specimens showed positive staining for HBcAg in their hepatocytes. The two patients with diffuse HBcAg expression in liver tissue also had high serum concentrations of HBV-DNA (greater than 10 pg/10 microL). Among 30 patients with focal HBcAg distribution, 28 patients (93.3%) had measurable levels of serum HBV-DNA and 17 patients (60.7%) had high levels of serum HBV-DNA. Of 44 patients without hepatic HBcAg expression, only 12 patients (27.3%) had detectable serum HBV-DNA, and most patients (93.1% [11/12]) had low concentrations (less than 10 pg/10 microL). Nineteen patients had superimposed hepatitis D virus infection, and, of these, three patients (15.8%) had detectable serum HBV-DNA in low concentrations, while one of the three patients had stainable HBcAg in his hepatocytes with focal distribution. Two of the three patients with hepatitis A virus superinfection who had focal HBcAg expression in their liver tissue had serum HBV-DNA levels that were high during the acute phase of hepatitis A virus infection, and in one patient his serum HBV-DNA levels further increased from 10 pg/10 microL to 40 pg/10 microL during the recovery phase. Thus, measurement of serum HBV-DNA levels in patients with chronic HBV infection correlated well with their hepatic HBcAg expression, and both represent the precise status of HBV replication.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens