Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most meaningful risk factor in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC). The hepatitis B virus X protein (HBxAg) is a multifunctional protein with many important functions in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. A monoclonal anti-HBxAg antibody was developed in our laboratory and characterized by different methods. Using this antibody HBxAg was detected in formaldehyde fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections of 72 liver biopsies from patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The co-expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and HBxAg was compared. The histological and cytological localization of the detected HBxAg showed a characteristic distribution in different stages of HBV infection. Strong and diffuse nuclear reaction was detected in PHC cases in contrast to the focal, cytoplasmic and nuclear labeling in the acute and chronic B hepatitis cases. Our antibody seems to be a suitable prognostic marker for routine pathohistological diagnosis and for comparative pathological and epidemiological research on the development of PHC.

Genomic studies - such as genotype-phenotype interactions and gene expression studies - play an increasing role in biomedical research. Obviously, these studies strongly depend on specimen-collections of the affected individuals. Collected, stored and registered specimens along with available clinical data represent a biobank. - Collaboration of the owners of biobanks and sharing the specimen collections increase the efficiency of research. This paper presents Hungarian initiatives aiming at establishing biobank-registers, identification and harmonization of the work of individual biobanks. The authors present the structure and aims of Hungarian Biobank homepage, Semmelweis Biobank, rare disease-specified Orphanet and NEPSYBANK specified on neuropsychiatric research. - During these years several new biobanks are established for genomic studies. Probably this process will accelerate significantly in the nearest future, when specific statute will regulate the establishment and maintenance of biobanks. It is presumed that the presented biobank-networks would help the coordination.

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