IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-ANTIGEN

Objective. To study the expression and clinical significance of hepati tis C virus (HCV) antigens in liver tissues of patients with liver dis ease. Patients and Methods. Hepatitis C virus antigen in paraffin-embe dded liver tissues was detected by immunohistochemical method using po lyclonal anti-HCV and monoclonal anti-HCV NS3. Results. Among the 252 liver tissues, 25 (9.92%) were positive for HCAg (detected with polycl onal anti-HCV), and 19 (7.74%) were positive for HCV-NS3 (detected wit h monoclonal anti-HCV-NS3). Ail of the 19 HCV NS3 positive tissues wer e also positive for HCAg. Their distribution in liver tissue was simil ar, locating in the cytoplasm of liver cells. In most tissues, the pos itive cells scattered in liver lobulus, without obvious approach to th e necrosis and infiltration aggregation; while a few samples showed po sitive cells clustered or diffused, with some necrosis or/and inflamma tory infiltration. Of the 252 sera samples, 71 had HCV antibody or/and HCV RNA, showing a good correlation between HCV antigen in liver tiss ues and HCV marker in sera, but the detection rate of HCV antigen in l iver tissues was much lower than that of HCV markers in sera. Two case s had HCV antigen in their liver with no HCV markers in their sera. Co nclusion. Stored paraffin-embedded liver tissue can be used in the stu dy of the immunopathology of HCV: no definite relationship between the expression of HCV antigens and liver damage has been found. Further s tudy of the pathogenesis of HCV is needed.