Viral Hepatitis
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2003. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 15, 2003; 9(4): 736-740
Published online Apr 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i4.736
Effects of hepatitis B virus infection on human sperm chromosomes
Jian-Min Huang, Tian-Hua Huang, Huan-Ying Qiu, Xiao-Wu Fang, Tian-Gang Zhuang, Hong-Xi Liu, Yong-Hua Wang, Li-Zhi Deng, Jie-Wen Qiu
Jian-Min Huang, Tian-Hua Huang, Xiao-Wu Fang, Tian-Gang Zhuang, Hong-Xi Liu, Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China
Huan-Ying Qiu, Yong-Hua Wang, Shantou University Hospital, Shantou 515063, Guangdong Province, China
Li-Zhi Deng, Jie-Wen Qiu, Department of Internal Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
Jian-Min Huang, Allergy and Inflammation Institute, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, No. 940567; and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 39970374
Correspondence to: Dr. Tian-Hua Huang, Department of Cell Biology and Medical Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China. thhuang@stu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-754-8900497 Fax: +86-754-8557562
Received: August 6, 2002
Revised: August 22, 2002
Accepted: August 29, 2002
Published online: April 15, 2003
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the level of sperm chromosome aberrations in male patients with hepatitis B, and to directly detect whether there are HBV DNA integrations in sperm chromosomes of hepatitis B patients.

METHODS: Sperm chromosomes of 14 tested subjects (5 healthy controls, 9 patients with HBV infection, including 1 with acute hepatitis B, 2 with chronic active hepatitis B, 4 with chronic persistent hepatitis B, 2 chronic HBsAg carriers with no clinical symptoms) were prepared using interspecific in vitro fertilization between zona-free golden hamster ova and human spermatozoa, and the frequencies of aberration spermatozoa were compared between subjects of HBV infection and controls. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to sperm chromosome spreads was carried out with biotin-labeled full length HBV DNA probe to detect the specific HBV DNA sequences in the sperm chromosomes.

RESULTS: The total frequency of sperm chromosome aberrations in HBV infection group (14.8%, 33/223) was significantly higher than that in the control group (4.3%, 5/116). Moreover, the sperm chromosomes in HBV infection patients commonly presented stickiness, clumping, failure to staining, etc, which would affect the analysis of sperm chromosomes. Specific fluorescent signal spots for HBV DNA were seen in sperm chromosomes of one patient with chronic persistent hepatitis. In 9 (9/42) sperm chromosome complements containing fluorescent signal spots, one presented 5 obvious FISH spots, others presented 2 to 4 signals. There was significant difference of fluorescence intensity among the signal spots. The distribution of signal sites among chromosomes was random.

CONCLUSION: HBV infection can bring about mutagenic effects on sperm chromosomes. Integrations of viral DNA into sperm chromosomes which are multisites and nonspecific, can further increase the instability of sperm chromosomes. This study suggested that HBV infection can create extensively hereditary effects by alteration genetic constituent and/or induction chromosome aberrations, as well as the possibility of vertical transmission of HBV via the germ line to the next generation.

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