期刊名称:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN:0027-8424
电子版ISSN:1091-6490
出版年度:1981
卷号:78
期号:6
页码:3906-3910
DOI:10.1073/pnas.78.6.3906
语种:English
出版社:The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要:Using the Southern blot technique and cloned hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA as a probe, we studied the state of HBV DNA in the liver of 13 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 17 patients with chronic hepatitis, and 2 patients with acute hepatitis. The hybridization results were compared with the serological and immunohistological data. Integration of HBV DNA in cellular DNA of the liver from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was demonstrated. In two patients from which tumorous and nontumorous liver tissue samples were available the integration patterns were different. In one patient with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive early hepatocellular carcinoma, free viral DNA was present in the liver. In some patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis, without tumor, integration of HBV DNA in cellular DNA was also demonstrated. This suggests that HBV is not the only factor involved in the development of a tumor. In patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis, free viral DNA was detected in the liver. In the two acute hepatitis patients analyzed, the restriction endonuclease patterns strongly suggested HBV DNA integration. Therefore, viral DNA integration seems to occur early in infection. Whatever the form of the disease, discrete bands were observed, suggesting the existence of limited and specific integration sites in host cellular DNA. The presence of integrated or free DNA sequences has implications for antiviral therapy. In addition, detection of HBV DNA in the liver is another sensitive viral marker that could be useful for diagnostic purposes.