[Increased expression of KCTD9, a novel potassium channel related gene, correlates with disease severity in patients with viral hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
Studies have shown that potassium channel plays a pivotal role in T cell activation. The expression of potassium channel gene KCTD9 was evidenced being highly upregulated in patients with severe hepatitis B (SHB). To understand this phenomenon further, tissue and cellular expression profiles of KCTD9 were investigated in patients with SHB.


METHODS
A rabbit peptide polyclonal antibody was prepared. Various samples including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs); livers from patients with SHB or mild chronic hepatitis B, were examined for KCTD9 expression by quantitative real time PCR and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC). Confocal microscopy was used to illustrate the localizations of the expressions.


RESULTS
Increased expression of KCTD9 was observed in PBMC in over 35.7% of the patients with SHB when compared with that of patients with mild chronic hepatitis B. In all patients, the relative value of increased KCTD9 mRNA was positively correlated with alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin but negatively with serum albumin. The expression was mainly located in hepatocytes, bile duct epithelial cells, Kupffer cells and inflammatory cells, and in the cytoplasm of PBMCs from the healthy individuals and patients with mild chronic hepatitis B, whereas in both cytoplasm and nuclei in those from patients with SHB.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased expression of potassium channel gene KCTD9 correlates with disease severity in patients with viral hepatitis B.
Zhou
Yao-yong
YY
Department of Infectious Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Pi
Bin
B
Liu
Xiao-juan
XJ
Zhang
Rong
R
Deng
Guo-hong
GH
Chen
Tao
T
Wang
Hong-wu
HW
Han
Mei-fang
MF
Yan
Wei-min
WM
Xi
Dong
D
Huang
Jia-quan
JQ
Wang
Yu-ming
YM
Luo
Xiao-ping
XP
Ning
Qin
Q
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
C580589:KCTD9 protein, human; D015221:Potassium Channels; D012333:RNA, Messenger