[The determination of the viral markers of the hepatitis B virus and protein p53 in liver biopsy samples].

The X gene product of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome functions as a transactivating element and it is considered as an essential factor for establishing chronic infection as well as for hepatocarcinogenesis. Its interaction with the product of the p53 tumor suppressor gene could be responsible for the intensification of cellular proliferation. We assessed the presence of X protein in biopsy samples of chronic hepatitis (CH), cirrhosis (CiH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues comparing to the presence of other viral markers (HBcAg, HBsAg) using immunohistochemical methods. We sought the expression of p53 gene in the same tissue samples and analysed the possibility of its accumulation in detectable quantity at different stages of the disease. Our results indicate a higher positivity for the X protein than for HBs and HBc antigens (p < 0.05). HBx expression in liver cells during chronic HBV infection may be a prognostic marker for the development of HCC. The p53 protein was not detectable in the majority of non-malignant tissues; thus its inactivation seems to be more likely a late event in carcinogenesis.