Detection of receptors for polymerised human albumin by immunoperoxidase and immunoadherence in liver tissue of HBsAg chronic carriers.

Receptors for polymerised human albumin (pHSA-Rs) were detected in unfixed cryostat sections from HBsAg chronic carriers using direct immunoperoxidase and immunoadherence methods. Although pHSA-Rs were detected by both methods, the receptors detected by immunoperoxidase were associated with HBV and showed properties different from the receptors detected by immunoadherence. The double immunocytochemical staining which detected contemporaneously pHSA-Rs and HBsAg in the same cell showed that there are two types of infected hepatocytes: one capable of synthesizing pHSA-Rs and HBsAg and the other capable of synthesizing only HBsAg. The intrahepatocyte synthesis of pHSA-Rs does not correlate with the severity of chronic liver disease or with the presence of tissue HB core antigen.