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[The detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in nerve tissue: the procedural aspects]
1Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital General de Lanzarote, Arrecife, Las Palmas.
Insights
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was detected in the brain tissue of a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This finding suggests extrahepatic replication sites for HBV may exist.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Neurology
Background:
- Chronic aggressive hepatitis B is a serious liver condition.
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
Observation:
- A patient with chronic hepatitis B and CJD showed the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue.
- Approximately 9 HBV DNA genomes per cell were found in the temporal lobe tissue.
Findings:
- This study detected HBV nucleotide sequences in nervous tissue, a site not typically associated with HBV infection.
- The presence of HBV DNA in the brain was confirmed via radioactive probes.
Implications:
- While HBV was not implicated in causing CJD, its detection in the brain expands the known tissue distribution of HBV.
- This supports the hypothesis of extrahepatic replication sites for HBV, particularly in hosts with compromised immune systems.
Abstract:
A patient with HBsAg-positive chronic aggressive hepatitis and HBeAg and hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) developed fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The investigation of cerebrospinal fluid and a temporal lobe brain tissue post mortem sample with radioactive probes of previously cloned HBV DNA showed the unquestionable presence of viral nucleotide sequences in the nervous tissue (about 9 viral genomes per cell). Although a pathogenetic role in the underlying neurologic disease cannot be attributed to HBV, our observation widens the spectrum of tissues where HBV has been detected, and supports the contention that there are replicative extrahepatic foci where the immunologic system of the host is permissive for the virus.