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Identification of integrated hepatitis B virus DNA sequences in human hepatocellular carcinomas
Author(s) -
Shafritz David A.,
Kew Michael C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840010102
Subject(s) - hepatitis b virus , hbsag , hepatocellular carcinoma , virology , dna , hepadnaviridae , recombinant dna , biology , hepatitis b virus dna polymerase , orthohepadnavirus , hepatitis b , virus , gene , cancer research , genetics
DNA extracts from hepatocellular carcinomas of 13 patients from South Africa were examined for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA sequences by molecular hybridization using [ 32 P]‐labeled recombinant, cloned, and purified HBV‐DNA. Eight patients were HBV carriers as demonstrated by the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HB s Ag) in their serum, and each of these patients had HBV‐DNA sequences in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue. Five patients who were not HB s Ag carriers, did not have HBV‐DNA in their tumors. In DNA extracts from all tumors of patients who were HB s Ag‐positive, the HBV‐DNA was integrated into the host genome. The integration pattern was unique for each tumor, but HBV‐DNA bands of a given length were present in more than one specimen and in a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (PLC/PRF/5). These results suggest that integration of HBV‐DNA into the human genome occurs in conjunction with malignant transformation.