In situ detection of mutated hepatitis B virus in microdissected, formalinfixed liver tissues from patients with chronic hepatitis B

Background/Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies have been detected in patients with chronic hepatitis B. In order to elucidate the relationship between HBV mutation and liver cell necrosis in situ, we analyzed sublobule-sized specimens microdissected from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded liver biopsy tissues taken from patients with chronic hepatitis B.