A Study on Relationship between Serum HBV DNA and HBsAg , HBcAg Expression in the Hepatocytes in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

Objectives To study the relationship between serum HBV DNA and HBsAg, HBcAg expression in the hepatocytes in chronic hepatitis B(CHB) patients. Methods Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to assay the content of serum HBV DNA in 170 CHB patients. The expression of HBsAg and HBcAg in hepatocyctes was detected by immunohistochemical staining using liver biopsy. Results Although serum HBV DNA was negative, the expression of HBsAg in hepatocyctes was still observed in the CHB patients. In the CHB patients with lower level of serum HBV DNA, the positive rate of HBsAg expression in hepatocyctes was also lower (P0.05). In the patients with negative serum HBV DNA, the expression of HBcAg in hepatocyctes was not observed. The expression level of HBcAg in hepatocyctes was positively correlated with the content of serum HBV DNA. Over G2 stage inflammation of liver tissue was more in the patients with positive HBV DNA than in the patients with negative HBV DNA, while was not correlated with the content of serum HBV DNA. Conclusion The content of serum HBV DNA was closely correlated with the expression of HBsAg and HBcAg in the hepatocytes in chronic hepatitis B patients. HBsAg might be a sensitive index to screen HBV infection. HBcAg might be a reliable index to evaluate the replication of HBV.