Fig. 5.

HBV viral markers in engraftments were generally consistent with original tissues. (A) HBsAg was nearly absent in HCC tissues compared to adjacent livers. In normal liver tissues, #6 exhibited cytoplasmic spots and #8 showed an additional membranous type. (B) HBcAg exhibited distinctive patterns in HCC tissues that was faithfully recapitulated and increased in engraftments. In normal liver tissues, #6 and 8 were cases of expressing HBcAg in whole hepatocytes. HBcAg decreased in HCC tissues and exhibited low level of nuclear expression. The mixed pattern of cytoplasmic, nuclear and whole cell distribution of HBcAg in original tissues was retained and increased in PDX grafts. Arrows were: black, representative hepatocytes with whole cell HBcAg expression; red, alternative cytoplasmic; white nuclear localization. Scale bars, 100 μm and 50 μm.