title: Detection of hepatitis C virus antigen by immuno-histochemical staining: a histological marker of hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus has been recognized as a major cause of non-A, non-B viral hepatitis. Although serologic tests have been commercialized, no specific histological or immuno-histochemical markers for hepatitis C virus infection are available for routine use. In an effort to detect hepatitis C virus antigen in liver tissue we investigated the immuno-reactivity to monoclonal antibodies on frozen liver tissue from a chimpanzee and patients with chronic non A, non B hepatitis. Monoclonal antibodies were developed in mice immunized with a synthetic peptide derived from hepatitis C virus core antigen. One monoclonal antibody was reactive and showed typical cytoplasmic granules in chimpanzee hepatocytes. Using this monoclonal antibody a similar staining pattern was found in the liver biopsies of 21 out of 28 chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis patients, positive for hepatitis C virus-RNA and anti-HCV. The granular immuno-reactivity was abolished after pre-incubation of this monoclonal antibody with infected chimpanzee liver or with hepatitis C virus synthetic peptide but not with normal chimpanzee or human liver tissue. There was no reactivity in four patients with hepatitis C virus-RNA-negative, anti-HCV-positive chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, in 11 patients with chronic type B hepatitis or in 12 hepatitis C virus-RNA-negative, anti-HCV-negative patients with various liver diseases. However, staining was found in three out of four additional chronic type B hepatitis patients suspected of co-infection with non-A, non-B agents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver and Pancreatic Diseases, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van den Oord
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Habets
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Middeldorp
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hellings
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nevens
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moshage
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Desmet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fevery
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral