[Expression of human annexin V in different fetal tissues].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression of human annexin-V (HA-V) in relation to HBV infection in different fetal tissues.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression and distribution of HA-V in the liver, kidney, ovary, heart, fallopian tube, spleen, and thymus gland of human fetus.


RESULTS
HA-V expression was detected in different tissues including the ovary, liver, intrahepatic bile duct, heart, kidney, lymphocytic cells in the thymus gland, epithelial cells of the fallopian, and cortical and medullary cells of the spleen. HA-V was distributed mainly in the cytoplasm of the cells. The liver tissues exhibited greater gray scale for HA-V expression than in the other tissues (P<0.05) and no significant difference was observed in the other tissues than the liver (P>0.05) in image analysis with Photoshop 7.0.


CONCLUSIONS
HA-V is an inherent protein in fetal tissues with possible relation to HBV infection of different tissues as a HBV receptor. Greater amount of HA-V in the liver may account for the vulnerability of the liver to HBV infection.
Ye
Feng
F
Department of Infectious Disease, First Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China. yefeng.jiaotong@163.com
Li
Shu-hong
SH
Chen
Tian-yan
TY
Yue
Ya-fei
YF
Zhang
Shu-lin
SL
Bai
Gui-qin
GQ
D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000032:analysis*; D005333:Fetus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000821:virology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000821:virology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D017304:Annexin A5