Replication and transfection of hepatitis B virus DNA into primary duck hepatocytes / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>By studying the possibility of obtaining expression of human hepatitis B virus (HBV) genes and production in normal liver cells from heterologous species like normal primary duck hepatocytes (PDH), to investigate the species-specificity of HBV infection and replication.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two days after transfecting the complete HBV genome into PDH by electroporation (transfected group), HBsAg and HBeAg in the supernatants and lysates of PDH were measured by the IMX system. Meanwhile, replication of HBV in PDH was analyzed by Southern blotting and dot blotting procedures. PDH was electroporated as control.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HBsAg in the lysate of transfected group was 9.10 (P/N values, positive?2.1), HBeAg was 1.0 (negative?2.1), both were negative in the supernatants of transfected group. dot blotting revealed that transfected group was strongly positive, whereas the control group was negative. Southern blot analysis of intracellular total DNA indicated that there were relaxed circular (RC), covalently closed circular (CCC) and single-stranded (SS) HBV DNA replicative intermediates in the transfected group, and there was no integrated HBV DNA in the cellular genome. Control groups were negative.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Replication of HBV can occur in hepatocytes from nonmammalian species, which strongly supports the idea that replication of HBV has no critical species-specificity, and yet it depends on the endoenvironment of hepatocyte.</p>

Study on the natural history of chronic hepatitis B / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>By clarifying the natural history of chronic hepatitis B, to evaluate its long-term therapeutic outcome, antiviral drugs efficacy and economic significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cohort of 183 (mean age of 31.75?.03 years, male/female ratio: 152:31) chronic hepatitis B patients with biopsy-proven and 247 cases of general population as control were followed up by retrospective cohort study. The follow-up time was 11.81?.08 years. This study was focused on long-term clinical outcome including the rate of liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and death, the long-term effect of antiviral drugs and prognostic factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In chronic hepatitis B patients, 22 (12.02%) developed liver cirrhosis, 12 (6.56%) hepatocellular carcinoma, and 20 (10.93%) died. The cumulative survival probabilities were 97.27%, 91.62%, and 84.47% in 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. The cumulative probabilities of HCC were 0.00%, 3.19%, and 11.56% in 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. In 247 control subjects, 6 (2.43%) died, none of them developed cirrhosis or HCC. The rates of death, liver cirrhosis, and HCC in hepatitis B patients were markedly different (P<0.005) compared with controls. The overall mortality of hepatitis B patients was 4.50 folds of the general population. Cox multiple regression analysis showed that old age, severe histological injury, and the positive HBeAg were closely related to liver cirrhosis, while old age, severe histological injury, and male were major factors leading to death. The independent variable of predicted HCC was not found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The long-term outcome of hepatitis B is poor.</p>

Experimental study on the effect of valaciclovir on antiduck hepatitis B virus / 重庆医学

Objective　we studied the effect of the Purine mucleoside Valaciclovir on anti-duck hepatitis virus(DHBV) in vivo to provide an experimental basis for clinical treatment of patients with hepatitisB.Methods　The Chongqing duck hepatitis B virus model was treated with Valaciclovir once a day for a month at the doses of 50mg.kg－1、100mg.kg-1、200mg.kg－1of body weight per day. Serum DHBV DNA was detected four times in the course of the treatment,ALT and AST in serum and DHBV DNA in liver were detected simultaneously.Results　Valaciclovir could signsificantly lower the serum DHBV DNA level. Serum ALT of several ducks in serum rose slightly during the treatment,but became normal after 1 week stopping Valaciclovir. Examination of DHBV DNA in liver with Southern Blot indicated Valaciclovir could inhibit DHBV DNA replication,but could not completely eliminate DHBV SC DNA.Conclusion　The study confirms the safety and potent antihepaticviral activity of Valaciclovir in vivo.