[Detection and significance of HBV antigen in gallbladder tissue].

In order to know whether HBV antigen exists in extrahepatic tissue, we detected HBV antigen in liver and gallbladder tissue obtained from 31 cases with HBV chronic liver disease (17 active cirrhosis, 14 chronic hepatitis) by using polyclonal antibody and ABC method. All cases were diagnosed by biopsy (n = 12) or autopsy (n = 19), 25 were males and 6 females, the average age was 45.6 years. The results showed that in the liver tissue 30 cases were (96.77%) HBsAg positive and 15 cases (48.39%) HBcAg positive. In the gallbladder tissue 18 cases (58.06%) were HBsAg positive and 8 cases (25.81%) HBcAg positive. Although 26 cases had pathological changes in the gallbladder, the changes had no relation with the existence of HBV antigen. Their symptoms and signs were also not related with the existence of HBV antigen in the gallbladder. Among the 31 cases, 19 died. The cause of death was severe hepatic complication, but not the pathological change of the gallbladder. The results suggest that pathogenesis of HBV in extrahepatic tissue needs to be elucidated.