Investigation of HBV infection status in anti-HBe Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis by in situ hybridization assay.

To investigate HBV infection in anti-HBe positive Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis, demonstration of intrahepatocellular HBV-DNA was performed by in situ hybridization technique, coupled with detection of intrahepatic HBcAg and HBsAg. Based on the presence or absence of HBV-DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg of 15 cases, three subgroups were identified: 1) 4 cases with HBV active replication characterized by intrahepatic HBV-DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg copositive; 2) 8 cases with HBV incomplete replication or antigen expression defined as positivity of both intrahepatic HBV-DNA and HBsAg; 3) 3 cases with HBV inactive replication described as absence of intrahepatic HBV-DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg. All findings strongly suggest that different HBV infection status could be distinguished among Chinese patients with seroconversion from HBeAg to anti-HBe positivity: a small number of cases had stopped replication; but part of the cases was still undergoing HBV active replication; on the other hand, HBV infection status in half of the remaining cases seemed to stay in an intermediate phase from active virus replication to inactive replication.