title: Anti-hepatitis B virus X protein in sera is one of the markers of development of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer mediated by HBV.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) plays a crucial role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the significance of circulating antibody to hepatitis B virus X antigen (anti-HBx) in sera remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the titers of anti-HBx (IgG) in the sera from 173 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 106 liver cirrhosis (LC), and 61 HCC by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Our data showed that the positive rates of anti-HBx were higher in sera of LC (40.6%) and HCC (34.4%) than those of CHB (10.4%), P < .05. In all 40 patients with anti-HBx+ out of 340 patients, 39 (97.5%) were HBsAg/HBeAg/anti-HBc+ and 1 (2.5%) was anti-HBs+ (P < .01), suggesting that anti-HBx in sera is a marker of HBV replication rather than a protective antibody. Thus, our findings reveal that circulating anti-HBx in sera is one of the markers of development of LC and HCC mediated by HBV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Research, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute for Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lian-Ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-Zhi
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chang-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Li-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015534:Trans-Activators; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C057628:hepatitis B virus X protein