FIG 2.

Effect of plasma proteins on the susceptibility of PHHs to HBV. Representative image of HBsAg-positive cells (A) and HBcAg-positive cells (B) in PHHs infected and cultured for 8 days in the absence and presence of plasma proteins. Scale bar, 50 μM. (C) Time of addition of plasma proteins. HBV-infected PHHs were incubated with plasma proteins from day (d) 0, day 1, day 2, or day 5 onward until day 8. The percentages of HBsAg- and HBcAg-positive cells were quantified by IF. (D) Time of addition of the pre-S1 peptide. HBV-infected PHHs were incubated with 0.5 μM pre-S1 peptide from day 0 until day 1 or from day 1, day 2, or day 5 onward until day 8. Percent inhibition was calculated based on the percentages of HBsAg- and HBcAg-positive cells in untreated HBV-infected PHHs cultured in the corresponding HCM. All data represent the means of three or more independent experiments ± SEM. *, P < 0.05; ***, P < 0.001.