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. 1993 Dec;143(6):1568–1573.

Immunohistochemical detection of the NS4 antigen of hepatitis C virus and its relation to histopathology.

K Blight 1, R Rowland 1, P D Hall 1, R R Lesniewski 1, R Trowbridge 1, J T LaBrooy 1, E J Gowans 1
PMCID: PMC1887271  PMID: 8256849

Abstract

The immunohistochemical localization of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural antigen 4 (NS4) was investigated in formalin-fixed human liver biopsy samples taken from 10 patients who were anti-HCV positive. NS4 was detected within the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in all HCV-positive patients studied, but not in the mononuclear cell infiltrates, bile duct epithelium, or endothelial cells. A high proportion of hepatocytes appeared positive, but the staining intensity was variable. After a coded histological evaluation of the liver tissue, the pattern of liver injury was shown to have no significant correlation with antigen-positive hepatocytes, and no direct relationship was observed between the distribution of antigen-positive hepatocytes and areas of hepatocyte necrosis. The staining pattern was considered to be specific because liver samples from patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus or from uninfected individuals were negative. Furthermore, no staining was noted when either preimmune rabbit serum or anti-NS4 adsorbed against the specific synthetic peptide was substituted for the primary antibody.

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Selected References

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