Background and Objectives: Occult hepatitis B virus infection is defined as the presence hepatitis Bvirus DNA (HBV DNA) in the serum or tissues of persons who have negative test for hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg). It is believed that transmission of hepatitis B infection from blood and organ donations negativefor HBsAg is due to HBV occult infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of occulthepatitis B infection and the level of viremia among these individuals with occult infection.Methods: Data on hepatitis B profile, HBV-DNA titer and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels of 398subjects enlisted for donor nephrectomy from June 2006 to June 2008 at the National Kidney and TransplantInstitute (NKTI) were reviewed.Results: One hundred twenty five of the 398 subjects (31.4%) included in the study were positivefor anti-HBc; 12/125 (9.6%) has detectable serum HBV DNA levels. Antibody to hepatitis surface antigen (anti-HBs) was detected in 8/12 (66.7%) of the HBV-DNA positives. ALT levels in seven of the subjects (58.3%)with occult hepatitis B were normal.Conclusion: There is high prevalence rate (9.6%) of occult hepatitis B infection among kidney donors atthe NKTI. Patients with occult hepatitis B infection have low viremia (
Anti-hbc ; Hbsag ; Hepatitis B Virus ; Prevalence