Widespread presence of cytoplasmic HBcAg in hepatitis B infected liver detected by improved immunochemical methods.
Cytoplasmic and cell membrane associated hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) were found to be more widespread within infected liver using indirect immunofluorescence on frozen sections than with the widely used direct immunofluorescence method. Fixation of frozen sections with carbon tetrachloride improved tissue histology without reducing the sensitivity of antigen detection. In tissue blocks fixed with formalin or ethanol-acetic acid, detection of HBcAg was reduced in comparison with frozen sections, and many cells containing low concentrations of (usually cytoplasmic and membranous) HBcAg could not be identified even using indirect immunofluorescence or peroxidase-antiperoxidase reactions. In contrast, intracellular hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was well detected in fixed sections, but membrane associated HBsAg was not detectable after fixation.
This article has been cited by other articles:
-
Mason, W. S., Jilbert, A. R., Summers, J.
(2005). Clonal expansion of hepatocytes during chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infection. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
102: 1139-1144
[Abstract] [Full Text]
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
