HBs-Ag, HBc-Ag and virus-like particles in liver tissue

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs-Ag) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBc-Ag) in hepatic tissue of 3 cases with various liver diseases were investigated by immunofluorescent method. Virus-like particles were demonstrated by electron microscopy in the nuclei of these 3 cases. The localization of HBs-Ag was restricted in cytoplasma or on the surface of hepatocyte, while HBc-Ag was almost in the hepatocytic nuclei. However, there was unexplainable discrepancy between the distribution of HBs-Ag and that of HBc-Ag, as more the former in number and less that latter, of hepatocytes. The size of virus-like particles in nuclei was 22-27 nm in diameter. Most of them were hollow, but some of them were wholly electron dense. Their distribution was various from case to case. Discussion was made on the correlation between the presence of Hepatitis B virus and HBs-Ag or HBc-Ag.