Hepatitis B and D genomes in hepatitis B surface antigen negative patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Hepatitis B and hepatitis D viral genomes were tested by nested polymerase chain reaction in the serum and liver of 69 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative, anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive patients (47 with HCV RNA and 22 without HCV RNA). Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA-was detected in 49% of the patients with HCV-RNA and in 64% of those without HCV-RNA. Furthermore, intrahepatic HBV-DNA was found in four of five (80%) of the biopsies analysed. Delta genome was found in 72% and 73%, respectively, of the anti-HCV positive patients with or without HCV-RNA. In addition, intrahepatic delta virus genome was detected in another four liver biopsies studied. In the group of patients with HCV-RNA, the simultaneous presence of hepatitis B and D genomes was statistically higher in transfused patients than in drug addicts, or in those with an unknown infection route (P < 0.001). These results show a high percentage of B and D genomes in HBsAg negative patients with anti-HCV, irrespective of the presence or absence of the HCV genome. However, the clinical implications of this finding should be examined in future studies.
González
S
S
Hepatology Unit, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
Navas
S
S
Madejón
A
A
Bartolomé
J
J
Castillo
I
I
Moraleda
G
G
Martín
J
J
Marriott
E
E
Herrero
M
M
Carreño
V
V
D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D017931:DNA Primers; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral