[An in situ hybridization and immunofluorescent double staining study on the pathogenesis of HBV in kidney disease]

The exact role of HBV in the pathogenesis of renal lesions is still unconfirmed. In order to investigate whether HBV replicates and causes direct injury in the kidney as it does in other extrahepatic organs or acts as an antigen to cause an immune reaction, we did in situ hybridization combined with IF double staining study of kidney and liver specimens from 8 patients with HBV infection and positive HBsAg in the glomeruli. In situ hybridization was performed with 3H and biotin labelled HBV-DNA probes, their specificity was determined by verified HBV-DNA positive and negative samples as controls. DNase predigestion and HBV-DNA probe replacement Rhodamine labelled rabbit antihuman IgG, goat nati-HBsAg, FITC labelled rabbit anti-goat IgG were used for IF double-staining. Their specificity was confirmed by positive, negative controls and blocking test. The double-staining revealing HBsAg deposition was in the same position with that of IgG. HBV-DNA was not detectable in all the 8 patients even though 3 of them had HBV-DNA in the liver. It is suggested that HBV replication does not occur in the kidney, but its antigen components may cause a progressive immune reaction which results in renal damage.