Detection of non-A, non-B hepatitis antigen by immunocytochemical staining.
Liver tissue obtained from a chimpanzee during the acute phase of an experimental non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis virus infection was studied by a sensitive immunocytochemical staining procedure for the presence of NANB viral antigens. Initial investigations were conducted with a model system of hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigens for purposes of comparing two immunocytochemical staining methods. Of these two procedures, an immunoperoxidase procedure, utilizing an avidin-biotinylated enzyme complex, was at least 40-fold more sensitive than a conventional immunoperoxidase technique for the detection of HBV-specific tissue antigens. Utilization of the avidin-biotin-amplified immunoperoxidase staining procedure, in conjunction with four primary convalescent antisera obtained from NANB hepatitis-implicated donors, resulted in the observation of NANB virus-associated antigen in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes from an infected chimpanzee liver. These same human antisera were not reactive with a number of uninfected control cells nor with cells infected with HBV, hepatitis A virus, or cytomegalovirus. Preincubation of one of these convalescent NANB sera, or IgG derived thereof, with an acute-phase serum obtained from a NANB hepatitis virus-infected chimpanzee abolished the antibody reactivity. We conclude from these observations that selected convalescent sera from NANB hepatitis virus-infected patients contain low levels of antibody that specifically react with a cytoplasmic antigen associated with NANB virus-infected hepatocytes.
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D014021:Tissue Preservation
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens