Different Mechanisms May Exist for HBsAg Synthesis and Secretion During Various Phases of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

作者：Li, Yunsong; Cai, Qun; Xie, Qinxiu; Zhang, Yafei; Meng, Xiangling^*; Zhang, Zhenhua^*

来源：MEDICAL SCIENCE MONITOR, 2017, 23: 1385-1393.

DOI：10.12659/MSM.902889

• Hepatitis B Antigens
• Hepatitis B Virus
• Protein Biosynthesis
• Secretory Pathway

Background: The aim of this study was to characterize the expression and secretion of hepatitis B surface-antigen (HBsAg) in the hepatocytes of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients at different phases of infection; as such, the association of intrahepatic HBsAg expression with virological markers and the histological characteristics were analyzed. @@@ Material/ Methods: 302 chronic HBV infection patients who had not received antiviral therapy were stratified by HBeAg status. The proportion of HBsAg-positive cells was used as an indicator for HBsAg expression level. @@@ Results: In HBeAg-positive patients, there was a significant correlation between serum HBsAg and serum HBV DNA levels (r= 0.569, p< 0.001). Intrahepatic HBsAg expression and serum HBsAg level in HBeAg-positive patients were higher than those in HBeAg-negative patients (p= 0.002 and p< 0.001, respectively). A significant correlation between serum HBsAg level and intrahepatic HBsAg expression was found in HBeAg-negative patients (r= 0.377, p< 0.001), but not in HBeAg-positive patients (r= 0.051, p= 0.557). Very interestingly, the correlation between serum HBsAg level and HBsAg expression in hepatocytes gradually increased along with disease progression through the immune-tolerant, immune-clearance, inactive, and recovery phases of HBV infection (r=-0.184, 0.068, 0.492, and 0.575; and p= 0,238, 0,722, 0.012, and 0.002, respectively). @@@ Conclusions: Different mechanisms may be involved in HBsAg synthesis and secretion in different phases of chronic HBV infection.

• 出版日期2017-3-21
• 单位安徽医科大学