Abstract
In situ hybridization using a biotinylated probe and streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase was applied to the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA in for-maimfixed and paraffin-embedded liver-biopsied tissues from 24 patients with chronic type B liver diseases (all carriers of serum HBsAg), and the results were compared with those of the immunohistochemical detection of HBsAg and HBcAg. The specificity of in situ hybridization reactions was confirmed by negative staining of the control tests. HBV-DNA was detected in the sections of 8 cases with serum HBeAg and one case without serum HBeAg, and was located predominantly in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes showing various staining patterns such as diffuse, regional or peripheral. The lobular or pseudolobular distribution of HBV-DNA in the liver tissues was divided into scattered, clustered and diffuse type. The scattered type was observed predominantly in the sections of cases with active liver cirrhosis. As regards HBsAg and HBcAg in the liver tissues, HBsAg was detected in the sections of 18 cases with or without serum HBeAg; 8 were detectable for HBV-DNA by in situ hybridization and 10 were not detectable. HBcAg was detected in the sections of 9 cases all with serum HBeAg; 6 were detectable for HBV-DNA by in situ hybridization and 3 were not detectable. The sections of 5 out of the 6 detectable cases for HBV-DNA revealed the cytoplasmic HBcAg in hepatocytes. These findings suggested that HBV-DNA in hepatocytes detected by in situ hybridization correlated with the presence of serum HBeAg and cytoplasmic HBcAg rather than nuclear HBcAg in hepatocytes in chronic type B liver diseases.
