A trichrome stain for intrahepatic localization of hepatitis B surface antigen.

A modified trichrome stain was used to detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in liver tissue obtained at the time of autopsy. The infected hepatocytes exhibited a selective green metachromasia of their cytoplasma, corresponding with the intracytoplasmic presence of HBsAg as confirmed by immunofluorescent and immunoperoxidase techniques. The trichrome technique for staining HBsAg is easy to perform, reliable, and can be used for routine histologic screening of HBsAg in liver disease.