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Immunohistochemical assessment and prognostic value of hepatitis B virus X protein in chronic hepatitis and primary hepatocellular carcinomas usinganti-HBxAg monoclonal antibody

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Pathology Oncology Research

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most meaningful risk factor in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC). The hepatitis B virus X protein (HBxAg) is a multifunctional protein with many important functions in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. A monoclonal anti-HBxAg antibody was developed in our laboratory and characterized by different methods. Using this antibody HBxAg was detected in formaldehyde fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections of 72 liver biopsies from patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The co-expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and HBxAg was compared. The histological and cytological localization of the detected HBxAg showed a characteristic distribution in different stages of HBV infection. Strong and diffuse nuclear reaction was detected in PHC cases in contrast to the focal, cytoplasmic and nuclear labeling in the acute and chronic B hepatitis cases. Our antibody seems to be a suitable prognostic marker for routine pathohistological diagnosis and for comparative pathological and epidemiological research on the development of PHC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology and Biotechnology, University of Pécs, Faculty of Medicine, Szigeti u. 12., H-7643, Pécs, Hungary

    József Pál, Csilla Somogyi, Ágnes Szmolenszky & Péter Németh

  2. Histopatology Ltd., Pécs

    György Szekeres

  3. Department of Pathology, County Hospital of Zala, Zalaegerszeg

    József Sípos

  4. Department of Pathology, County Hospital of Baranya, Pécs

    Géza Hegedüs

  5. Department of Medical Microbiology Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical and Pharmaceutical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Hungary

    Ilona Martzinovits & János Molnár

Authors
  1. József Pál
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  2. Csilla Somogyi
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  3. Ágnes Szmolenszky
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  4. György Szekeres
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  5. József Sípos
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  6. Géza Hegedüs
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  9. Péter Németh
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Correspondence to Péter Németh.

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Pál, J., Somogyi, C., Szmolenszky, Á. et al. Immunohistochemical assessment and prognostic value of hepatitis B virus X protein in chronic hepatitis and primary hepatocellular carcinomas usinganti-HBxAg monoclonal antibody. Pathol. Oncol. Res. 7, 178–184 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03032346

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03032346

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