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Tissue immunodetection of c100 hepatitis C virus antigen in major thalassemic patients
L Nakopoulou1, N Manolaki, A C Lazaris
1Department of Pathology, Athens University Medical School, Greece. lnakopou@cc.uoa.gr
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) c100 antigen was detected in 62% of thalassemic patients. Interferon-alpha therapy reduced HCV antigen expression, but detection may not reflect viral load.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Immunohistochemistry
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) detection in the liver is crucial for chronic infection management.
- Hepatic expression of HCV antigen c100 in thalassemic patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the significance of hepatic expression of hepatitis C viral antigen c100.
- To assess the association between HCV c100 antigen detection and clinicopathologic variables in thalassemic patients.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical assay using monoclonal antibody TORDJI-22 on liver biopsy specimens from 113 HCV-seropositive thalassemic patients.
- Statistical analysis (univariate and multivariate) to correlate HCV c100 antigen detection with clinicopathologic variables.
- Analysis of pre-therapy and post-interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy liver biopsy specimens.
Main Results:
- HCV c100 antigen was detected in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in 62% of pre-therapy samples.
- Antigen expression showed positive association with male gender and advanced age, and was linked to low necroinflammatory scores.
- Post-IFN-alpha therapy, the prevalence of c100 antigen significantly decreased.
Conclusions:
- Hepatic c100 antigen expression is present in a significant percentage of thalassemic patients but may not correlate with viral load.
- Interferon-alpha therapy appears to reduce hepatic expression of HCV c100 antigen in this patient group.
Background/Aims:
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) detection in the livers of chronically infected patients remains a debatable issue. To determine the significance of hepatic expression of hepatitis C viral antigen c100, an immunohistochemical assay was performed in 113 young thalassemics with chronic HCV infection.
Methodology:
One hundred and thirteen patients were seropositive for antibody to HCV by second-generation testing. The monoclonal antibody TORDJI-22 was used in an alkaline phosphatase 3-step staining method, and any possible association between the results of HCV immunodetection and various clinicopathologic variables was investigated by univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. In 36 cases, post-therapy liver biopsy specimens were also studied.
Results:
HCV c100 antigen was detected in 62% of all pretherapy samples, exclusively in the cytoplasm of rather few hepatocytes. Its expression was positively associated with male gender (p = 0.02) as well as with rather advanced age (p = 0.03) and was frequently accompanied by low necroinflammatory scores (according to the modified HAI grading). At the end of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy, the immunoreactive prevalence of c100 antigen decreased significantly (pF = 0.002).
Conclusions:
We conclude that hepatic expression of c100 antigen is detected in a considerable percentage of thalassemics but it is not likely to provide information concerning the viral load in the infected liver. IFN therapy appears to reduce the hepatic expression of this viral antigen in thalassemic patients.