Presence of HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBVDNA in ovary and ovum of the patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence and distribution of Hepatitis B virus antigen (HBVAg) and Hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBVDNA) in ovary with chronic hepatitis B virus. Study design The immunohistochemistry method and in situ hybridization method were used to detect the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAg), and HBVDNA in ovary of patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Results HBsAg presented in the ovum-granular cell and interstitial cell of ovary. HBsAg located in the cytomembrane and cytoplasm. HBcAg presented in the ovum-granular cell-interstitial cell and endothelium cell of interstitial blood vessel of ovary, and the HBcAg may present in the ovum at different stage. HBcAg was situated at the cytomembrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. HBVDNA was detected in the ovum at different stage as HBcAg and in granular cell, interstitial cell of ovary. In the same ovary tissue, HBVDNA was positive in some ova, but it was weakly positive or negative in other ova. HBVDNA distributed mainly in nucleus, but also can be detected in the cytoplasm. Conclusion HBV could infect the ovum at different stage and replicate in it. This may be an important mechanism of HBV vertical transmission.