Assessment of HBV persistent infection in an adult population in Taiwan.
In order to study the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the adult population of Taiwan, we screened for the presence of HBV DNA in 205 blood samples from adult (20-59-year-old) volunteers. According to the serological markers of HBV, samples were divided into three groups: group I (173 subjects) was negative for both HBsAg and HBeAg; group II (14 subjects) was positive for both HBsAg and HBeAg; and group III consisted of 18 subjects who were HBsAg-positive but HBeAg-negative. Plasma HBV DNA was not detected in group I, but it was found in 85.7% and 11.8% of samples in group II and group III, respectively. A free-form HBV DNA was found in 14.3% of the leukocyte samples in group II. Furthermore, an integrated form of HBV DNA was detected in the leukocytes of two cases of group I who remained healthy based on clinical data. HBV DNA was also detected in the spermatozoa and liver cells of one of the cases.
Peng
H W
HW
Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Su
T S
TS
Han
S H
SH
Ho
C K
CK
Ho
C H
CH
Ching
K N
KN
Chiang
B N
BN
D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000382:microbiology; D013624:Taiwan
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens