Anti-hepatitis B virus X protein in sera is one of the markers of development of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer mediated by HBV.

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) plays a crucial role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the significance of circulating antibody to hepatitis B virus X antigen (anti-HBx) in sera remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the titers of anti-HBx (IgG) in the sera from 173 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 106 liver cirrhosis (LC), and 61 HCC by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Our data showed that the positive rates of anti-HBx were higher in sera of LC (40.6%) and HCC (34.4%) than those of CHB (10.4%), P < .05. In all 40 patients with anti-HBx+ out of 340 patients, 39 (97.5%) were HBsAg/HBeAg/anti-HBc+ and 1 (2.5%) was anti-HBs+ (P < .01), suggesting that anti-HBx in sera is a marker of HBV replication rather than a protective antibody. Thus, our findings reveal that circulating anti-HBx in sera is one of the markers of development of LC and HCC mediated by HBV.

• Authors: Hang Zhang, Lian-Ying Wu, Shuai Zhang, Li-Yan Qiu, Nan Li, Xuan Zhang, Xue-Zhi Zhang, Chang-Liang Shan, Li-Hong Ye, Xiao-Dong Zhang
• Journal: Journal of biomedicine & biotechnology (J Biomed Biotechnol) Vol. 2009 Pg. 289068 ( 2009) ISSN: 1110-7251 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19746176 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Hepatitis Antibodies
• Immunoglobulin G
• Trans-Activators
• Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
• hepatitis B virus X protein

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Animals
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood, immunology)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (blood, immunology, virology)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Hepatitis Antibodies (blood)
• Hepatitis B (blood, immunology, virology)
• Hepatitis B virus (immunology, metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin G (blood, immunology)
• Liver Cirrhosis (blood, immunology, virology)
• Liver Neoplasms (blood, immunology, virology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Rabbits
• Trans-Activators (blood, genetics, immunology)
• Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins