Crystalline aggregates of hepatitis B core particles in cytoplasm of hepatocytes

Large crystalline accumulations of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) particles were detected in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes from a patient with mild reactive hepatitis. Within these crystals, the core particles showed a symmetrical hexagonal arrangement with the center-to-center particle distance estimated at 24 nm. The possible mechanism of aggregation and the significance of HBcAg crystalline lattice in the preservation of hepatitis B virus are discussed.