EFFECT OF SERA OF CIRRHOTIC-PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-INFECTION ON PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS IN HEPATOMA-CELLS

The in vitro effects of sera of 11 patients with liver cirrhosis on pr otein synthesis in PLC/PRF/5 cells were studied. Hepatitis B virus (HB V) infection was documented in 7 patients. Increased random production of several cell proteins of M(r) of approximately 25, 65, 90 and 130 K was shown by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Ther e was no correlation between HBV-positive and HBV-negative cirrhosis a nd the induced proteins. One of them was identified as alpha-1 foetopr otein by immunoblot analysis. C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined only in one case; production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was not detected,