Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA and sister chromatid exchange in peripheral bloods from patients with chronic hepatitis B / 대한해부학회지

ABSTRACT

In the present study author investigated 48 patients with chronic hepatitis B for the presence of peripheral blood HBV-DNA with the aid of DNA molecular techniques. HBV-DNA was detected in peripheral blood cells in 34 of 48 (70.8%) of chronic HBsAg positive patients. In order to know that the presence of HBV-DNA in peripheral blood induce more chromosomal instability in comparison with the absent, frequency of SCE was analyzed in peripheral blood. In HBV-DNA positive chronic hepatitis B patients a mean frequency of SCE was 11.5452+/-0.6944, in HBV-DNA negative patients 11.7540+/-0.7032, respectively. Both groups had significantly higher SCE frequence than that of normal control group (5.8533+/-0.437) (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between them. This study may suggest that the presence of HBV-DNA in peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B may be related to certain pathogenetic processes in HBV infection, but it may have no effect on chromosomal instability in peripheral blood.