Electron microscopy of hepatitis B virus components in chronic active liver disease.

Abstract

SUMMARY Eighteen liver biopsy specimens from patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive chronic aggressive hepatitis were studied by electron microscopy. All cases were selected on the basis of positive liver cell membrane fluorescence for HBsAg on immunohistochemical investigation. Striking changes in the morphology of the liver cell membrane were observed in nearly all cases.

Extracellular Hepatitis B Virus RNAs Are Heterogeneous in Length and Circulate as Capsid-Antibody Complexes in Addition to Virions in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

“…We speculated that SS DNA in circulation would be carried by capsid particles that were released by HBV-infected hepatocytes into patients’ bloodstreams. However, we reasoned that due to strong immunogenicity of naked capsids ( 32 , 33 ), it would be difficult to detect them as free particles; rather, they would form complexes with specific anti-HBcAg antibodies and therefore circulate as antigen-antibody complexes ( 25 , 32 – 34 ). To entertain this possibility, we then used protein A/G agarose beads to pull down the immune complexes.…”

“…1B and 2B and F ) ( 11 ), we postulated that, in CHB patients, unenveloped capsids are released into circulation, where they rapidly form CACs with anti-HBcAg antibodies ( Fig. 11B ) ( 25 , 33 , 34 ). In support of this notion, we showed that protein A/G agarose beads could specifically pull down particles with mature and immature HBV DNA from sera of CHB patients, implying the involvement of antibody.…”

Studies by electron microscopy on the assembly of duck hepatitis B virus in the liver

“…The similarity in the morphological properties of DHBV and HBV suggest a mechanism of maturation and excretion of DHBV. In HBV, the presence of naked core particles in the pores of the nuclear membrane and in the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm indicated that the core particles were assembled in the nucleus, migrated into the cytoplasm through the nuclear pores, and then localised near the endoplasmic reticulum [De Vos et al, 1979;Kamimura et al, 19811. As shown in this study, the presence of core particles of DHBV in the nucleus, in the cytoplasm near the nuclear pore, and on the endoplasmic reticulum would also suggest that the assembly of core particles of DHBV takes place in the nucleus and that migration to the endoplasmic reticulum occurs through the nuclear pore.…”

Extracellular HBV RNAs are heterogeneous in length and circulate as virions and capsid-antibody-complexes in chronic hepatitis B patients

“…We speculated that SS DNA in circulation might be carried by capsid particles that were released by HBV-infected hepatocytes into patients’ bloodstream. However, we reasoned that due to strong immunogenicity of naked capsids (33, 34), it would be difficult to detect them as free particles but rather they would form complexes with specific anti-HBcAg antibodies and therefore circulate as antigen-antibody complexes (26, 33–35). To entertain this possibility, we then used protein A/G agarose beads to pull down the immune complexes.…”

“…1B, 2B and F) (11), we postulated that, in CHB patients, unenveloped capsids are released into circulation where they rapidly form CACs with anti-HBcAg antibodies (Fig. 9B) (26, 34, 35). In support of this notion, we showed that: (1) Protein A/G agarose beads could specifically pull down particles with mature and immature HBV DNA from sera of CHB patients, implying the involvement of antibody (Fig.…”