title: Suppression of hepatitis C virus by hepatitis B virus in coinfected patients at the National University Hospital of Singapore.
abstract: This study was carried out to compare hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicative states and to determine possible interference between HBV and HCV. One thousand and sixty-one consecutive patients seen at The Gastroenterology Division of the National University Hospital of Singapore between 1988 and 1995 were screened for HBV and HCV serological markers. Anti-HCV was tested using a second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. HCV-RNA was detected by a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction method (RT-PCR). Data were analyzed by either paired t-test or chi2 test. Two hundred and twenty-four patients were infected with HBV alone, while 117 patients were infected with HCV only. Thirty-one patients were coinfected with HBV and HCV. HCV-RNA was detected in 104 of the 117 HCV patients (88.9%), and in 12 of 29 coinfected patients (41.4%). Serum anti-HCV levels in the coinfected patients were lower than those in the HCV-infected patients. A significant difference for anti-HCV reactivity and HCV-RNA positivity was observed between HCV-infected patients and coinfected patients (P < 0.01). In contrast, HBV-DNA and hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg) positive rates were similar in HBV carriers and patients coinfected with HBV and HCV. These results show a possible interaction between HBV and HCV life cycles, and suggest that HCV replication may be negatively affected by HBV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014762:Viral Interference / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral