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Hepatic HLA antigen display in chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Relation to hepatic expression of HBV genome/gene products and liver histology

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Abstract

To determine the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and HLA antigen display at a cellular level, the hepatic expression of HLA antigens and HBV genome (HBV-DNA)/gene products (HBsAg/HBcAg) was studied in 24 patients with chronic HBV infection using simultaneously immunohistochemistry and nonisotopicin situ hybridization. The effect of interferon-α and interferon-γ on hepatocyte HLA antigen expression was also evaluated using primary hepatocyte culture in eight patients with chronic HBV infection. HLA class I antigens were detected on hepatocyte membrane in 23 patients (95.8%). Hepatocytes positive for HBcAg and HBV-DNA (cytoplasmic ± nuclear) were either negative or only faintly positive for HLA class I antigens, while hepatocytes positive for HBsAg showed similar levels of HLA class I antigen expression compared with those hepatocytes with no HBsAg expression. In contrast, hepatocytes adjacent to inflammatory infiltrates, whether positive for HBV-DNA or HBV antigens or not, were always strongly positive for HLA class I antigens. Furthermore, active liver histology (N=12) was associated with a higher overall level of hepatic HLA class I antigen expression as compared with inactive histology (N=12,P=0.003). Both interferon-α and interferon-γ treatmentin vitro enhanced hepatocyte HLA class I antigen expression. These data indicate that expression of HLA class I antigens is not enhanced on the membrane of hepatocytes with HBV replication, and this may be one factor that permits the development of viral persistence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, 32610, Gainesville, Florida

    Johnson Y. N. Lau MD, George L. A. Bird MD, Nikolai V. Naoumov MD & Roger Williams MD

  2. Institute of Liver Studies, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK

    Johnson Y. N. Lau MD, George L. A. Bird MD, Nikolai V. Naoumov MD & Roger Williams MD

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  1. Johnson Y. N. Lau MD
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  2. George L. A. Bird MD
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  3. Nikolai V. Naoumov MD
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  4. Roger Williams MD
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Lau, J.Y.N., Bird, G.L.A., Naoumov, N.V. et al. Hepatic HLA antigen display in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Digest Dis Sci 38, 888–895 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01295916

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01295916

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