[Hepatitis B virus X protein suppressing adriamycin-induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells].

Objectives: To investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) on adriamycin-induced apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Methods: HBx gene fragment was amplified from subtype adr HBV plasmid by PCR, and inserted into Hind III and Kpn I sites of green fluorescent protein (GFP) eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-C1 to construct recombinant pGFP/HBx. The pEGFP-C1 and pGFP-HBx were introduced into HepG2 cells by Lipofectamine 2000 to obtain HepG2 cells expressing GFP.

Effects of c-myb antisense RNA on TGF-beta1 and beta1-I collagen expression in cultured hepatic stellate cells.

Aim: To investigate the effects of c-myb antisense RNA on cell proliferation and the expression of c-myb, TGF-beta1 and beta1-I collagen in cultured hepatic stellate cells (HSC) from rats.

Methods: Recombinant retroviral vector of c-myb antisense gene (pDOR-myb) was constructed, and then transfected into retroviral package cell line PA317 by means of DOTAP. The pseudoviruses produced from the resistant PA317 cells were selected with G418 to infect HSCs isolated from rat livers.

The levels of serum fibrosis marks and morphometric quantitative measurement of hepatic fibrosis.

Objective: To study the relationship between the serum levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen type III (PCIII), collagen type IV (CIV) and the histological degree of hepatic fibrosis evaluated by image analysis, and the clinical significance of serum HA, PCIII, CIV in the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Methods: The concentrations of serum HA, PCIII, CIV in 151 patients with chronic viral hepatitis were measured by radioimmunoassay. Liver biopsies were performed in all the patients.

Prevalence of hepatitis G virus infection and homology of different viral strains in Southern China.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection and to analyse the homology of different HGV strains in Southern China.

Methods: A total of 1993 sera from different groups in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Yunnan were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The nucleotide sequences of 5'untranslated region (5'UTR) derived from 20 strains and NS5 region from 3 strains were determined.

Codon 249 mutations of p53 gene in non-neoplastic liver tissues.

AIM:To study the significance of p53 gene in hepatocarcinogenesis through analyzing codon 249 mutations of p53 gene in non-neoplastic liver tissues.METHODS:Codon 249 mutation was detected using single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis and allele-specific PCR in liver tissues from 10 cases of chronic hepatitis, 5 cases of cirrhosis and 20 cases of HCCs.RESULTS:The detection rate of codon 249 mutation in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and pericancerous tissues was 70% (7/10), 100% (5/5) and 70% (14/20), respectively by AS-PCR.