ABSTRACT
Objective To establish a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR) assay to detect HBV DNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) of chronic HB patients. Methods One pair of primer amplifying HBV genome DNA and another pair of primer amplifying HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA ) were added to one PCR reaction to detect HBV DNA in PBMCs. Results Various forms of HBVDNA including total DNA and cccDNA could be amplified simultaneously. Among the 30 chronic HB patients, both the HBVDNA and HBVcccDNA in the PBMCs of 23 patients were detected, the positive rate of which was 76.6%. The positive rate of HBV cccDNA accounted for 82.1% of total HBV DNA positive rate. Conclusion HBVDNA in the PBMCs could partially replicate. The M-PCR was successfully set up to amplify HBV genome DNA and HBV cccDNA simultaneously.