title: Different antibody responses against hepatitis B surface antigen among mouse strains transfected with mutant viral DNA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid seroconversion from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) to anti-HBs antibody is seen in most patients with fulminant hepatitis B. It is unclear whether viral mutation or host immune background is responsible for such enhanced host reaction to hepatitis B virus (HBV). To investigate interaction between virus mutation and host immune background, we established a mouse model of hepatitis B using liposome-mediated gene transfer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixture of liposomes and full-length viral DNA derived from hepatitis B patients was injected into three strains of purebred mice intrahepatically. After injection, HBsAg and antibody in liver and serum were serially measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three days after transfection, viral transcript and antigen were detected in the liver and serum. Ten days after transfection with wild-type DNA, hepatitis B surface antibody was detectable in two of the three strains. Mice that did not produce antibody after transfection with wild-type DNA produced a high amount of serum antibody against surface antigen when transfected with fulminant hepatitis-associated DNA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results are consistent with previous clinical observations of rapid HBsAg seroconversion in patients with fulminant hepatitis B. Further studies are needed to determine which mutations are responsible for differences in immunogenicity between HBV strains.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawadacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Riho
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joh
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.forename: Takuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naritomi
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001483:Base Sequence; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D012367:RNA, Viral