title: [The presence of nucleotide sequences of the hepatitis B virus in the serum of HBsAg-negative blood donors in Sardinia].
abstract: The presence of HBV DNA was assessed in the serum samples from 878 HBsAg negative Sardinian blood donors. They were composed of 481 (55%) donors selected because of abnormal serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels during routine testing of their blood donation, and of 397 donors (45%) selected on the basis of normal serum ALT activities. HBV DNA sequences were detected in 37 (7.7%) out of 481 subjects with abnormal ALT and in 2 (0.5%) out of 397 subjects with normal ALT. Anti-HBc was detected in 199 (41%) of the 481 subjects with abnormal ALT and in 81 (20%) out of 397 subjects with normal ALT. Among the 39 subjects positive for serum HBV DNA, 12 (31%) were positive for anti-HBc, while 27 (69%) were negative for all serological HBV markers. These data show in Sardinia, where HBV infection is endemic, there is a high frequency of HBsAg negative HBV DNA positive individuals in whom multiplication of HBV may occur without conventional serological HBV markers, suggesting the possible existence of HBV-like viruses which may be responsible for some of the presumed non-A non-B hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Interna, Università degli Studi di Cagliari.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puxeddu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001345:Autoradiography; D001483:Base Sequence; D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000637:Transaminases
vernacular_title: Presenza di sequenze nucleotidiche del virus dell'epatite B nel siero dei donatori di sangue HBsAg negativi in Sardegna.