We have developed a PCR-based method, called methylation-sensitive restriction fingerprinting (MSRF), to screen changes in DNA methylation in breast carcinomas. Two hypermethylation-containing fragments, HBC-1 (for "hypermethylation in breast cancer") and HBC-2, were identified in the amplified breast tumor DNA relative to the amplified normal breast DNA of a patient. Nucleotide sequence analys...

The relationship between the presence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in donor blood and the development of hepatitis in recipients of that blood was studied in 6293 blood donors and 481 recipients who were followed for 6 to 9 months after transfusion. Of 193 recipients of at least 1 unit of blood positive for anti-HBc, 23 (11.9%) developed non-A, non-B hepatitis compared wit...

AIM To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers among municipal solid waste workers (MSWWs) in Keratsini (Greece). METHODS We assessed in a cross-sectional study the prevalence of biological markers of HBV infection (HbsAg, anti-Hbc, anti-Hbs) and their association with exposure to waste and other socio-demographic factors in 166 municipal employees in Keratsini (Greece). ...

The purpose of the present study was to measure the amount of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in different populations by the immunoelectroosmophoresis method. High titers of anti-HBc, up to 1/4,096, were found in the acute stage of hepatitis B virus infections and in the chronic carrier state of hepatitis B surface antigen. In cases of acute hepatitis the anti-HBc titers gradua...

Assembly of nucleocapsids is an attractive target for novel anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) agents, and intracellular single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against HBV core (HBc) protein are a class of potential alternatives for this purpose; however, their application is limited by the lack of a suitable means of delivery. Owing to the favorable performance of cytoplasmic transduction ...

PURPOSE Assess potential risk factors for severe Meibomian gland atrophy (SMGA) in a young adult population. METHODS Cross-sectional study using medical history and ocular surface examination to evaluate relationships with study outcomes: SMGA, tear lipid layer (TLL) thickness, non-invasive (NITBUT) and fluorescein (FTBUT) tear breakup times, and symptoms using the Standard Patient Evaluation...

HBc, the capsid-forming "core protein" of human hepatitis B virus (HBV), is a multidomain, α-helical homodimer that aggressively forms human HBV capsids. Structural plasticity has been proposed to be important to the myriad functions HBc mediates during viral replication. Here, we report detailed thermodynamic analyses of the folding of the dimeric HBc protomer under conditions that prevented c...

OBJECTIVE Testing for antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was introduced to detect blood donors suffering from occult hepatitis B infection. Confirmation of specification of reactive results in the anti-HBc screening assay is still a challenge for blood donation services. METHODS Two different test strategies for confirmation of specification of reactive anti-HBc tests, one...

An E. coli expression system offers a mean for rapid, high yield and economical production of Hepatitis B Virus core (HBc) particles. However, high-level production of HBc particles in bacteria is demanding and optimisation of HBc particle yield from E. coli is required to improve laboratory-scale productivity for further drug delivery applications. Production steps involve bacterial culture, p...

Occult HBV infection of hemodialysis (HD) patients is informative in terms of virus transmission. It may be of clinical importance in HD patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anti-HBc in the HD Patients. Number of 126 patients undergoing hemodialysis were included in this study from main hemodialysis units in Yazd. Hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg), hepatitis B...