Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/*immunology ; Hepatitis B e Antigens/*blood

In the present study author investigated 48 patients with chronic hepatitis B for the presence of peripheral blood HBV-DNA with the aid of DNA molecular techniques. HBV-DNA was detected in peripheral blood cells in 34 of 48 (70.8%) of chronic HBsAg positive patients. In order to know that the presence of HBV-DNA in peripheral blood induce more chromosomal instability in comparison with the absent, frequency of SCE was analyzed in peripheral blood. In HBV-DNA positive chronic hepatitis B patients a mean frequency of SCE was 11.5452+/-0.6944, in HBV-DNA negative patients 11.7540+/-0.7032, respectively. Both groups had significantly higher SCE frequence than that of normal control group (5.8533+/-0.437) (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between them. This study may suggest that the presence of HBV-DNA in peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B may be related to certain pathogenetic processes in HBV infection, but it may have no effect on chromosomal instability in peripheral blood.
Blood Cells ; Chromosomal Instability ; DNA ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis B, Chronic* ; Hepatitis* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Siblings* ; Sister Chromatid Exchange*

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To assess the value of quantitative analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels in the diagnosis and therapeutic evaluations in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

<b>METHODSb>According to the staging criteria defined by the American Association of Liver Diseases, 96 patients with CHB admitted in Zhujiang Hospital were classified in immune-tolerant (IT), HBeAg-positive hepatitis (EPH), inactive carrier (IC) and HBeAg-negative hepatitis (ENH) phases. Serum HBsAg, HBV-DNA and ALT levels were quantified and their correlations were evaluated in each phase of infection.

<b>RESULTSb>The mean HBsAg titers (measured in log10U/L) differed significantly between the phases of CHB (4.12 in IT, 4.02 in EPH, 2.85 in EPH, and 3.29 in ENH). The correlation coefficient of HBsAg with HBV-DNA was 0.6828 in IT, 0.5759 in EPH, 0.3280 in IC, and 0.1083 in ENH. Serum HBsAg titers were significantly higher in HBeAg-positive patients than in HBeAg-negative patients. No correlation was found between HBsAg level and ALT in each phase of CHB.

<b>CONCLUSIONb>The median baseline serum HBsAg levels vary between different phases of CHB in Guangzhou, suggesting the value of HBsAg in accurate classification of hepatitis B patients and evaluation of the therapeutic effect and outcomes of the patients.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between serum HBsAg concentration and HBV replication level in hepatitis B patients with positive serum HBsAg and HBeAg, and to explore the possibility of using serum HBsAg concentration as a marker of HBV replication level in hepatitis B patients with positive serum HBeAg. METHODS: HBV DNA level and serum HBeAg, HBsAg concentration of 296 patients with positive serum HBsAg and HBeAg were quantitatively detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR) and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRIFA) respectively. HBsAg concentrations were compared among patients with different HBV DNA levels, and HBV DNA levels were compared among patients with different HBsAg concentrations. The correlation between serum HBsAg concentration and DNA replication level were analyzed. The positive, negative predictive values and coincidence rates were speculated by various HBsAg concentrations. RESULTS: If HBV DNA positive was defined as HBV DNA levels no less than 10(5) copy/mL, then 228(77.03%) patients were classified as HBV DNA positive. HBsAg concentration was positively correlated with HBV DNA replication level, but among groups with various DNA replication levels, HBsAg concentration showed no significant statistical difference (P>0.05). If the patients were divided into 2 groups, HBsAg concentration (180 microg/L) was served as the cutoff level, the DNA positive rate of the group with HBsAg concentration no less than 180 microg/L was significantly higher than that with HBsAg concentration less than 180 microg/L (chi(2)=3.998, P<0.05). DNA positive rates and average DNA levels showed no significant statistical differences between the 2 groups, if HBsAg concentrations other than 180 microg/L were used as the cutoff level. Positive predictive values, negative predictive values and the coincidence rates speculated by various HBsAg concentrations as cutoff values did not show any significant statistical difference in estimating HBV replication levels. CONCLUSION To some extent, serum HBsAg concentration is related to HBV DNA replication level in hepatitis B patients with positive serum HBsAg and HBeAg, but it is not feasible to use HBsAg concentration to monitor their HBV replication levels.
DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; virology ; Humans ; Virus Replication

Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Phosphorus ; blood

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; pathology ; Humans

China ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; therapy ; Humans

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; virology ; Humans

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To study the roles of hepatitis B virus (HBV) X antigen (HBxAg) in development of HBV-related liver diseases and carcinogenesis.

<b>METHODSb>Liver tissues were collected from patients with HBV infection (HBV carriers, n = 14; chronic hepatitis B (CHB), n = 24), HBV-related liver cirrhosis (LC, n = 20), or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 20). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of HBxAg and the host apoptosis-related genes Fas and Fas ligand (Fas-L). The correlations of HBxAg with HBV DNA level in serum, inflammation grade, and fibrosis stage were statistically analyzed. Liver inflammation grade and fibrosis stage were in accordance with Knodell standard. x2test and Fisher's exact test were adopted in count data, x2split method was adopted in pariwise comparisons between multiple samples, Rank-sum test was adopted in ranked data, Spearman rank correlation analysis was adopted in correlation analysis.

<b>RESULTSb>The rates of HBxAg-positivity were similar between the patients with HBV infection (71.1%), LC (60.0%), and HCC (65.0%) (x2= 0.754, P = 0.686). The rates of Fas- and Fas-L-positivity in liver cells were also similar between the three groups (Fas: 28.9% vs. 20.0% vs. 5.0%, x2= 4.667, P = 0.101; Fas-L: 36.8% vs. 50.0% vs. 60.0%, x2= 2.988, P = 0.225). However, the positive rate of Fas in lymphocytes of liver tissue was significantly higher in the HCC patients than in the HBV-infected patients (90.0% vs. 68.4%, Z = -4.360, P = 0.00001). The expressions of HBxAg and Fas-L corresponded to regions of severe inflammation in tissues from LC patients and some HCC patients. Furthermore, the expression of HBxAg was positively correlated with Fas (r = 0.304, P = 0.02) and Fas-L (r = 0.368, P = 0.004) in the HBV-infected patients and LC patients, and the expression of Fas was positively correlated with that of Fas-L (r = 0.448, P = 0.0004). Patients with high and medium loads of HBV DNA showed significantly higher rates of HBxAg-positivity than those with low loads (88.9% and 69.2% vs. 26.7%, P less than 0.05).

<b>CONCLUSIONb>In the early stage of chronic HBV infection, HBxAg may induce liver cell apoptosis by up-regulating Fas expression, and in the later stage, HBxAg may induce immune escape by up-regulating Fas-L expression in liver cells. Together, HBxAg and high HBV DNA load may promote chronic HBV infection and progression to hepatocarcinogenesis.