Relation of hepatitis B core antigen expression with histological activity, serum HBeAg, and HBV DNA levels.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a potentially life-threatening liver infection which may progress to liver failure and cirrhosis. Intrahepatic expression patterns of viral antigens detected by immunohistochemistry may have prognostic implications in disease process. Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the HBV core antigen (HBcAg) expression and histological activity index (HAI), fibrosis, serum hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) status and HBV DNA levels in patients with chronic HBV infection. Materials and Methods: A total of 114 liver biopsies from patients with chronic HBV infection were included in the study. Immunohistochemical expression of HBcAg and its relation with HAI, fibrosis, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, HBeAg status and HBV DNA levels were assessed. Results: The presence of nuclear expression of HBcAg did not show any correlations with ALT levels, HAI and fibrosis score. When the groups were categorized according to the HBeAg status, nuclear HBcAg expression was found to be high in HBeAg positive patients. However, HBcAg nuclear expression showed significant correlations with HBV DNA levels and fibrosis scores in HBeAg negative but not HBeAg positive patients. HBV DNA levels were also significantly associated with HAI and fibrosis scores in HBeAg negative patients. Conclusions: Significant differences found between HBeAg positive and negative patients suggest that HBeAg negative disease is different from HBeAg positive disease, and also point outs that in HBeAg negative disease, patients with nuclear HBcAg expression and increased levels of HBV DNA levels are at a higher risk of developing progressive liver disease.

A case of a sporadic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the urinary bladder with concomitant in situ urothelial carcinoma treated by transuretheral resection.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) of the urinary bladder is a very rare clinical entity. The association of such a tumor with urothelial carcinoma is even more unusual. Differential diagnosis between coexisting two distinct primary tumors and carcinosarcoma of the urinary bladder is very important as both the treatment and prognosis vary widely. Herein, we report a case of an MPNST with a concomitant in situ urothelial carcinoma in a 53-year-old man. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of MPNST of the bladder that is treated by transuretheral resection which is in contrast with the previous reports that used cystectomy.