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Maternal venous blood (MB), umbilical blood (UB) and placental tissue (PT) were collected from 40 HBsAg positive mothers and their neonates, and also blood from 17 babies aged 3-6 months old of this group (BB). All samples were determined for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by molecular hybridization technique using Bio-HBV DNA probe. The results showed: HBV DNA positive rate of MB was 35.0%, 47.5% for UB, 75.0% for PT and 29.4% for BB. 32 P-HBV DNA probe was also used to examine MB and PT. The positive rates of HBV DNA were 30.0% and 70.0% respectively. There was no significant difference between the results of the 2 probes. We considered: (1) With the rapid development of HBV detection technique, the detectable rate of intrauterine infection increases accordingly. (2) Besides transplacental infection, other transmission routes might be existed. (3) The detection of HBV DNA in UB, PT and in the blood of babies born by HBV DNA positive mother within 6 months old provides the reliable diagnosis. (4) HBV DNA molecular hybridization is an accurate and sensitive method for the diagnosis of HBV intrauterine infection.

HBx, a transcriptional transactivating protein of hepatitis B virus (HBV), is required for viral infection and has been implicated in virus-mediated liver oncogenesis. However, the molecular mechanism for its influence on cell remains largely unknown. It was proved that HBx need the help of host cell proteins to exert its function by binding to them. During purifying of GSTX (fusion protein of GST and HBx) expressed in E. coli, we found that it can bind specifically with GrpE (HSP60) and DnaK (HSP70) of E. coli while GST cannot. Using GST pull-down, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrum, we found that GSTX can also bind to human mitochondrial HSP60 and HSP70, which are homologues of GrpE and DnaK. These interactions between HBx and mitochondrial HSP60 and HSP70 are supported by the result of co-immunoprecipitation experiment. It means that HBx can form complex with E. coli and human HSP60 and HSP70. The implication of HBx, HSP60 and HSP70 complex in molecular mechanism of virus infection is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]