[Integrated and nonintegrated hepatitis B virus DNA in liver tissue]

Liver tissue was taken in eight patients with virus hepatitis B and one patient with liver carcinoma by biopsy, as well as in seven other patients at post mortem. HBV-DNA was measured in these tissue specimens by hybridization. In four out of eight patients who had had biopsy, HBV-DNA could be found; in two patients it was present in integrated form. The same was true for the tumor tissue stemming from the patient with liver carcinoma. In five out of eight liver tissue specimens taken at post mortem HBV-DNA could be demonstrated as well; it was integrated into the host genom in two cases. It may be important to find out in patients with chronic hepatitis virus infection, if HBV-DNA is present in free or integrated form before antiviral treatment is considered.