Immunohistochemical staining of liver grafts with a monoclonal antibody against HCV-Envelope 2 for recurrent hepatitis C after living donor liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the expression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigen on liver grafts by immunohistochemical staining (IHS) using IG222 monoclonal antibody (mAb) against HCV-envelope 2 (E2).


METHODS
The study material was 84 liver biopsy specimens obtained from 28 patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for HCV infection. The biopsy samples were examined histopathologically, and by IHS using IG222 mAb against HCV-E2. Serum HCV-RNA level was measured in all patients. The IHS grades were compared among the three groups classified according to the time elapsed from LDLT (at 1-30, 31-179 and > or =180 days post-LDLT) and among four post-transplant conditions, including acute cellular rejection (ACR).


RESULTS
Immunoreactivity to IG222 was detected in 78.6% of the specimens obtained during the first month after LDLT, and there were no significant differences on the IHS grades between the three groups classified according to the time elapsed from LDLT. The IHS grades were significantly stronger in definite recurrent HCV (n = 12) and probable recurrent HCV (n = 7) than in definite ACR (n = 7) and other complications (n = 8). There were no significant differences in serum HCV-RNA levels among the four post-transplant conditions. There was no significant correlation between the IHS grades using IG222 mAb and serum HCV-RNA levels when data of 84 liver biopsy specimens were analyzed.


CONCLUSIONS
Constant HCV-E2 expression was observed in liver biopsy specimens obtained 1 month or longer. The strong HCV-E2 expression on liver grafts were associated with recurrent hepatitis C after LDLT, but the serum HCV-RNA levels were not.
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2-5-1 Shikata, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. sada@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
Hiroshi
H
Sadamori
Takahito
T
Yagi
Hiromi
H
Iwagaki
Hiroaki
H
Matsuda
Susumu
S
Shinoura
Yuzo
Y
Umeda
Nobuya
N
Ohara
Hiroyuki
H
Yanai
Tetsuya
T
Ogino
Noriaki
N
Tanaka
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012008:Recurrence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C091015:glycoprotein E2, Hepatitis C virus