title: Recombinant anti-HBsAg Fab blocks hepatitis B virus infection after orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) after orthotopic liver transplantation is very common in the absence of adequate prophylaxis and is often associated with poor prognosis because of the development of cirrhosis, fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis, or fulminant hepatitis. Therefore it is important to study the prevention of HBV reinfection after liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recombinant Fab (rFab) was constructed to evaluate gene therapy for post-transplantation HBV reinfection. Hepatocytes were divided into three groups: HBV-infection, rFab-blocked HBV-infection, and control. The inhibition of HBsAg adsorption test, the micro-cytotoxicity assay, and the blockade test of HBV infection were carried out. The HBsAg adsorption rate, the hepatocyte death rate and the HBV infection rate were statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HBsAg adsorption rate blocked by rFab in the HBsAg adsorption test was 0.3%. The hepatocyte death rate was 98.8% induced by rFab in the micro-cytotoxicity assay, 1.3% in the rFab-blocked HBV-infected group and 77% in the HBV-infected group in the blockade test of HBV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that rFab effectively blocked HBV infection in human hepatocytes. This provides an attractive alternative for hepatitis B prophylaxis.
authors: Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation (Ministry of Education/Ministry of Public Health), Institute of Organ Transplantation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Pan
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Tang
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Yuan
authors: Nian-Qiao
authors: NQ
authors: Gong
authors: Da-Wei
authors: DW
authors: Wang
authors: Dun-Xiu
authors: DX
authors: Chen
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Guo
authors: Zhi-Shui
authors: ZS
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006454:Hemoglobins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins