Korean J Hepatol.  2001 Dec;7(4):401-412.

The Correlation Between The Histologic Activity and Fibrosis and The Distribution of Intrahepatic HBsAg and HBcAg in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B

• Cho KB
• Sohn JH
• Park KS
• Kwon DY
• Hwang JS
• Hur JW
• Ahn SH
• Park SK
• Kim SP

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between histologic activity and fibrosis and the distribution of intrahepatic hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and surface antigen (HBsAg) in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
METHODS
141 patients (M:F=141:27) with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis B, abnormal liver function, and a positive HBV viral marker (serum HBeAg, serum HBV DNA) were enrolled.
RESULTS
HBcAg was expressed in 96 of 141 patients (68.1%), nHBcAg in 23 (16.3%), cHBcAg in 58 (41.2%), and n-cHBcAg in 15 (10.6%). In the cases of HBsAg, 114 of 141 patients (80.9%) were expressed as cHBsAg, 2 (1.4%) as mHBsAg, and 16 (11.3%) as m-cHBsAg. The presence of intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg according to Gudat's classification was not correlated with activity and fibrosis. But the groups with nuclear expression of HBcAg revealed less inflammatory activity (grade, p=0.003), and less fibrotic stage (p = 0.002) than with cytoplasmic or no expression of HBcAg. HBsAg was not.
CONCLUSIONS
These observations suggest that inflammatory activity and fibrosis of chronic hepatitis B are related to the presence of HBcAg in hepatocytes and the expression of HBcAg. This is a very important finding in hepatocytolysis.

Keyword

Immunohistochemistry; Hepatitis / Viral / HBV; HBcAg; HBsAg; Stage; Histological grade

MeSH Terms

Antigens, Surface
Biomarkers
Classification
Cytoplasm
Fibrosis*
Hepatitis B Core Antigens*
Hepatitis B e Antigens
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens*
Hepatitis B, Chronic*
Hepatitis, Chronic*
Hepatocytes
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Liver
Antigens, Surface
Hepatitis B Core Antigens
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Hepatitis B e Antigens