Expression of HBcAg in hepatocytes and its association with the efficacy of antiviral therapy / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of the expression of HBcAg in hepatocytes on the serum level of HBcAb and seroconversion of HBeAg after antiviral therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs). MethodsSerum samples and liver tissue paraffin sections were collected from 101 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who received antiviral therapy with NUCs in Nanfang Hospital and Panyu Central Hospital from January 2015 to June 2018. ELISA was used to measure the serum level of HBcAb, and immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of HBcAg in the liver. The GEO database (GSE96851) was analyzed to obtain differentially expressed genes in the liver of patients with HBcAg-positive hepatitis. The two-independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups; the multiple-independent-samples nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and Dunnett method was used for further comparisons; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. ResultsThe expression pattern of HBcAg in hepatocytes was classified as absent expression, nuclear expression, cytoplasmic expression, and nuclear/cytoplasmic expression, and according to expression level, HBcAg expression was classified as grades Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ expression. HBeAg seroconversion rates after 96 weeks of antiviral therapy were 5.88%, 16.67%, 22.73%, and 24.24%, respectively, in the patients with absent expression, nuclear expression, cytoplasmic expression, and nuclear/cytoplasmic expression (χ2=4753, P=0.037), and HBeAg seroconversion rates after 96 weeks of antiviral therapy were 5.88%, 13.04%, 27.59%, and 26.67%, respectively, in the patients with grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ expression (χ2=6.580, P=0.016). There were significant differences in the serum levels of HBcAb-IgM and total HBcAb between the patients with absent expression, nuclear expression, cytoplasmic expression, and nuclear/cytoplasmic expression of HBcAg (HBcAb-IgM H=9.760, P=0.021; total HBcAb H=21.46, P＜0.001), and there were also significant differences in the serum levels of HBcAb-IgM and total HBcAb between the patients with grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and IV expression of HBcAg (HBcAb-IgM H=18.80, P＜0.001; total HBcAb H=26.03, P＜0.001). The analysis of differentially expressed genes in the liver showed that the expression of antibody-related genes was upregulated in the liver of patients with HBcAg-positive acute liver failure. ConclusionThe expression pattern and level of HBcAg in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes are associated with serum HBcAb, and the measurement of HBcAg may help to predict the efficacy of antiviral therapy with NUCs.