Hepatitis B virus DNA is frequently found in liver biopsy samples from hepatitis C virus-infected chronic hepatitis patients.
Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are two major etiologic agents of chronic hepatitis, which is closely related to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A possible involvement of HBV co-infection was investigated in ongoing HCV-related liver diseases in HCV-infected patients. A prevalence of anti-HBc in anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative chronic hepatitis patients and a low copy number of HBV DNA were found in most of the liver biopsy samples of anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative patients. The present data suggest that HBV co-infects frequently with HCV and may play an important role in the development of HCC in the anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis.
Koike
K
K
Department of Gene Research, Cancer Institute (JFCR), Tokyo, Japan.
Kobayashi
M
M
Gondo
M
M
Hayashi
I
I
Osuga
T
T
Takada
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*
D012367:RNA, Viral