Mason A, Yoffe B, Noonan C, Mearns M, Campbell C, Kelley A, Perrillo R P
Gastroenterology Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63106.
Hepatology. 1992 Jul;16(1):36-41. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840160108.
In this study, peripheral-blood mononuclear cells from patients with chronic hepatitis B and spontaneous or therapy-induced disappearance of HBsAg were examined for HBV DNA. Samples were evaluated by in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction both before and after clearance of HBsAg. By in situ hybridization, positive signals were observed in 2 of 13 samples collected after HBsAg loss, in 8 of 15 samples before HBsAg loss and in 0 of 4 control patients without serological markers of active or prior HBV infection. When polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed, HBV DNA was detected in 5 of 12 HBsAg-negative samples and 10 of 15 HBsAg-positive samples from the study group. Testing of mononuclear cells after disappearance of HBsAg revealed that two of eight patients were HBV DNA positive by in situ hybridization and by polymerase chain reaction, whereas two additional patients were positive by polymerase chain reaction alone. Mononuclear cell-associated HBV DNA was detected between 2 and 9 mo after the disappearance of circulating HBsAg by in situ hybridization and as long as 4 yr later by polymerase chain reaction. These data indicate that patients who have undergone HBsAg seroconversion may nonetheless harbor HBV DNA in their peripheral-blood mononuclear cells for prolonged periods.
在本研究中，对慢性乙型肝炎患者以及HBsAg自发或经治疗后消失的患者的外周血单个核细胞进行了HBV DNA检测。在HBsAg清除前后，通过原位杂交和聚合酶链反应对样本进行评估。通过原位杂交，在HBsAg消失后采集的13份样本中有2份观察到阳性信号，在HBsAg消失前的15份样本中有8份观察到阳性信号，而在4名无活动性或既往HBV感染血清学标志物的对照患者中均未观察到阳性信号。进行聚合酶链反应分析时，在研究组的12份HBsAg阴性样本中有5份检测到HBV DNA，在15份HBsAg阳性样本中有10份检测到HBV DNA。对HBsAg消失后的单个核细胞进行检测发现，8名患者中有2名通过原位杂交和聚合酶链反应检测为HBV DNA阳性，另外2名患者仅通过聚合酶链反应检测为阳性。通过原位杂交在循环HBsAg消失后2至9个月检测到单核细胞相关的HBV DNA，通过聚合酶链反应检测到的时间长达4年后。这些数据表明，发生HBsAg血清学转换的患者外周血单个核细胞中可能长期携带HBV DNA。
