Clinical significance of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic hepatitis C patients.
10.3350/kjhep.2011.17.3.206
- Author:
Jae Young JANG
1
;
Soung Won JEONG
;
Sung Ran CHEON
;
Sae Hwan LEE
;
Sang Gyune KIM
;
Young Koog CHEON
;
Young Seok KIM
;
Young Deok CHO
;
Hong Soo KIM
;
So Young JIN
;
Yun Soo KIM
;
Boo Sung KIM
Author Information
1. Institute for Digestive Research, Digestive Disease Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Soon Chun Hyang University Seoul Hospital, Soon Chun Hyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Occult infection;
Hepatitis B virus;
Hepatitis C virus;
HBV DNA
- MeSH:
Adult;
Aged;
Cohort Studies;
DNA, Viral/analysis;
Female;
Genotype;
Hepatitis B/*complications/*diagnosis;
Hepatitis B Core Antigens/blood/immunology;
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/blood/immunology;
Hepatitis B virus/*genetics;
Hepatitis C, Chronic/*complications/genetics/*pathology;
Humans;
Liver/virology;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Severity of Illness Index
- From:The Korean Journal of Hepatology
2011;17(3):206-212
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the frequency of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive individuals and the effects of occult HBV infection on the severity of liver disease. METHODS: Seventy-one hepatitis B virus surface-antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients were divided according to their HBV serological status into groups A (anti-HBc positive, anti-HBs negative; n=18), B (anti-HBc positive, anti-HBs positive; n=34), and C (anti-HBc negative, anti-HBs positive/negative; n=19), and by anti-HCV positivity (anti-HCV positive; n=32 vs. anti-HCV negative; n=39). Liver biopsy samples were taken, and HBV DNA was quantified by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Intrahepatic HBV DNA was detected in 32.4% (23/71) of the entire cohort, and HBV DNA levels were invariably low in the different groups. Occult HBV infection was detected more frequently in the anti-HBc-positive patients. Intrahepatic HBV DNA was detected in 28.1% (9/32) of the anti-HCV-positive and 35.9% (14/39) of the anti-HCV-negative subjects. The HCV genotype did not affect the detection rate of intrahepatic HBV DNA. In anti-HCV-positive cases, occult HBV infection did not affect liver disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: Low levels of intrahepatic HBV DNA were detected frequently in both HBsAg-negative and anti-HCV-positive cases. However, the frequency of occult HBV infection was not affected by the presence of hepatitis C, and occult HBV infection did not have a significant effect on the disease severity of hepatitis C.
