Korean J Hepatol.  2011 Sep;17(3):206-212. 10.3350/kjhep.2011.17.3.206.

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

• Jang JY
• Jeong SW
• Cheon SR
• Lee SH
• Kim SG
• Cheon YK
• Kim YS
• Cho YD
• Kim HS
• Jin SY
• Kim YS
• Kim BS

• KMID: 1025200
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/kjhep.2011.17.3.206

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.

Keyword

Occult infection; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C virus; HBV DNA

MeSH Terms

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