Clinical significance of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic hepatitis C patients

• Published in: Clinical and molecular hepatology 2011, 17(3), , pp.206-212
• Main Authors: Jang, Jae Young, Jeong, Soung Won, Cheon, Sung Ran, Lee, Sae Hwan, Kim, Sang Gyune, Cheon, Young Koog, Kim, Young Seok, Cho, Young Deok, Kim, Hong Soo, Jin, So Young, Kim, Yun Soo, Kim, Boo Sung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscesses; Adult; Aged; Antigens; Biopsy; Chi-square test; Clinical significance; Cohort Studies; DNA, Viral - analysis; Female; Genotype; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B - complications; Hepatitis B - diagnosis; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - blood; Hepatitis B Core Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - blood; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - immunology; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C, Chronic - complications; Hepatitis C, Chronic - genetics; Hepatitis C, Chronic - pathology; Humans; Infections; Kruskal-Wallis test; Laboratories; Liver - virology; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Severity of Illness Index; 내과학
• ISSN: 1738-222X; 2287-2728; 2093-8047; 2287-285X
• DOI: 10.3350/kjhep.2011.17.3.206

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. 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. 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. 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.