Immunohistochemical evidence for HIV-1 infection in the liver of HIV-infected patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect p24 antigen of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 in the liver biopsy specimens of patients with HIV infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Liver biopsy samples from 14 patients with HIV/AIDS (11 man, 3 women; age range 27-52 years; infection time range 8-13 years) were examined by immunohistochemistry prospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Intracellular expression of HIV-1 p24 antigen was detected in Kupffer cells, endothelial cells and hepatocytes. There were more HIV-positive liver cells in the patients with severer liver damage than those with milder liver damage (t=2.5189, P=0.0270).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These findings indicate that HIV-1 could replicate in the liver of HIV-infected patients and might be related to the liver cells apoptosis.</p>