In hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated glomerulonedphritis (GN), glomerular deposition of HBV antigens is well known however the presence of HBV-DNA in kidney tissues remain uncertain. In an attempt to demonstrate the presence of HBV-DNA in the
kidney
tissues of serum HBsAg-positive GN (HBV-GN), the kidney biopsy tissues from 35 patients with HBV-GN were studied together with the kidney tissues of 10 control patients. The cntrols included 8 serum HBdsAg-negative and 2 HBsAg-positive patients
with
normal glomerular histology. HBV antigens wer eidentified an visualized with polyclonal anti-HBs, anti-HBc and monoclonal anti-HBe antibodies by avidin-biotin complex method. The presence of HBV-DNA in the kidney tissues from 25 patient with
HBV-GN
and
10 controls was detected using the polumerase chain reaction (PCR) technique employing three primer sets specific for surface, core and X-genes. The renal pathology of the 35 patients with HBV-GN showed minimal change lesion (HBV-MC; N=2), focal
segmental glomerulosclerosis (HBV-FSGS, N=30, membrano proliferative GN (HBV-MPGN; N=16), membranous GN (HBV-MGN; N=10) and IgA nephropathy (HBV-IgAN; N=4).
HBV antigens were detected in the glomeruli of 25 of the 35 patients with HBV-GN and were not detected in the 10 control patients. No antigens were detected in the 5 patients with HBV-MC or HBV-FSGS. HBsAg was localized in the mesangium and/or
along
capillary walls in 14 of the 16 patients with HBV-MPGN. HBcAg and HBeAg were localized along capillary walls in five and three patients, respectively. Of the 10 patients with HBV-MGN, HBsAg was localized in mesangium and/or along capilary walls
in
seven
patients, and of the seven patients, both HBcAg and HBeAg were localized along capillary walls in three patients. The four patients of HBV-IgAN had nly HBsAg localized in the mesangium.
HBV-DNA was detected in kindney tissues of 17 of the 25 patients with HBV-GN. No HBV-DNA was detected in the 10 control patients. HBV-DNA was detected in kidney tissues of patients with HBV-MGN (1/2), HBV-FSGS (0/3), HBV-MPGN (6/9), HBV-MGN (7/8)
and
HBV-IgAN (3/3). Among the 25 serum HBsAg-positive patients, the HBV-DNA detection rate in kidney tissues was significantly higher in he patients who were positive for glomerular HBV antigens (14/16) compared with those in whom glomerular HBV
antigens
were not localized (3/9) (p=0.02).
In conclusion, this study demonstrates that both HBV antigens and HBV-DNA exist in the renal tissues of HBV-GN. This result may be of interest with respect to the pathogenesis of HBV-GN.
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