title: Hepatitis B virus occult infection in subjects with persistent isolated anti-HBc reactivity.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of hepatitis B virus occult infection in asymptomatic subjects with persistent anti-HBc reactivity but no other hepatitis B virus serological markers, including HBsAg, anti-HBs, IgM anti-HBc and HBV-DNA. For this purpose we used both polymerase chain reaction assays in sera and immunohistochemistry for HBsAg and HBcAg in liver biopsy specimens. Twenty-four cases were studied: 15 were drug abusers or homosexuals (eight with normal alanine aminotransferase levels) and nine were heterosexuals with raised alanine aminotransferase levels (> 45 U/l) but with no history of blood transfusion or ethanol intake (< 80 g daily). In all but five cases, liver biopsy was performed in subjects with persistent elevated alanine aminotransferase levels. In 10 out of 24 cases (41.66%) hepatitis B virus infection was demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction or immunohistochemistry, and when results from both procedures were available (n = 11) hepatitis B virus infection was detected in 63.63% of the subjects. The only clinical feature associated with HBV infection was the presence of persistent elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (p < 0.05). In conclusion, persistent isolated anti-HBc reactivity may be a relatively common serologic pattern for hepatitis B virus occult infection, at least in patients with chronic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis and AIDS Study Group, Virgen del Rocio University Hospital, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Quijano
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Jauregui
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castilla
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Civeira
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García de Pesquera
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lissen
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens