Hepatitis B virus infection in lymphatic tissues in inactive hepatitis B carriers.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in extrahepatic tissues is controversial. To clarify whether episomal HBV can infect nonhepatic tissues, we investigated the molecular forms of HBV in the lymphatic cells of inactive HBV carriers who lacked viremia, thus avoiding contamination with HBV genomes originating from the viral particles present in the serum.


METHODS
We assessed HBV genome, replicative forms, and viral integrants in the liver, serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and lymph nodes of 21 inactive HBV carriers who tested positive for antibodies against the HBV core antigen (anti-HBc).


RESULTS
Of the 21 anti-HBc positive individuals, HBV-DNA was detected in liver samples of 15 (71.4%), in the lymph nodes of 11 (52.4%), and in PBMC of three (14.3%). However, none of the detected HBV genomes from lymphatic tissues included the replicative forms of HBV. In one case, integrated HBV was present in the lymphatic tissues and the host-viral junction was present in the intronic sequences of chromosome 17.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that human lymphatic tissues cannot support viral replication in anti-HBc positive inactive HBV carriers, while retaining the viral genome as an integrated form.
Umeda
Makoto
M
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Marusawa
Hiroyuki
H
Seno
Hiroshi
H
Katsurada
Akira
A
Nabeshima
Motoshige
M
Egawa
Hiroto
H
Uemoto
Shinji
S
Inomata
Yukihiro
Y
Tanaka
Koichi
K
Chiba
Tsutomu
T
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016662:Virus Integration; D014779:Virus Replication
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral