EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ON HEPATITIS-B VIRUS PRE-S S GENE-EXPRESSION IN THE HUMAN HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA DERIVED HEP G2 HEPATITIS-B DNA POSITIVE CELL-LINE/

Background/Aims: Among the reported interactions between ethanol and h epatitis B virus (HBV), studies of transgenic mice have suggested an e ffect of ethanol on the secretion of viral envelope proteins. Methods: We further investigated these interactions in vitro by determining HB s antigen levels and performing northern blots of viral mRNA in human cell culture (HepG2 HBV positive cells) exposed for 3 to 12 days to va rious concentrations of ethanol. Results: In cultures exposed to 200 m M ethanol, HBs antigen concentrations increased in the medium (p<0.05) after 3 days as Pre-S1 and Pre-S2 protein concentrations. This increa se was not specific, as albumin and ferritin increased in the same pro portions. Ethanol also increased the HBs antigen concentration in the cells (p<0.05), whereas levels of viral mRNA encoding surface proteins were unaffected. Conclusions: These findings show that short-term eth anol exposure in vitro can induce HBs antigen overexpression via a pos t-transcriptional mechanism.