title: Immunohistochemical detection of the NS4 antigen of hepatitis C virus and its relation to histopathology.
abstract: The immunohistochemical localization of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural antigen 4 (NS4) was investigated in formalin-fixed human liver biopsy samples taken from 10 patients who were anti-HCV positive. NS4 was detected within the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in all HCV-positive patients studied, but not in the mononuclear cell infiltrates, bile duct epithelium, or endothelial cells. A high proportion of hepatocytes appeared positive, but the staining intensity was variable. After a coded histological evaluation of the liver tissue, the pattern of liver injury was shown to have no significant correlation with antigen-positive hepatocytes, and no direct relationship was observed between the distribution of antigen-positive hepatocytes and areas of hepatocyte necrosis. The staining pattern was considered to be specific because liver samples from patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus or from uninfected individuals were negative. Furthermore, no staining was noted when either preimmune rabbit serum or anti-NS4 adsorbed against the specific synthetic peptide was substituted for the primary antibody.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blight
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rowland
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Lesniewski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trowbridge
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: LaBrooy
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gowans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001706:Biopsy; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins