title: Distribution of hepatitis B virus in the liver of chronic hepatitis C patients with occult hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: Although occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (HBV-DNA in serum in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg]) is common in chronic hepatitis C, its characteristics are not well known. In this work, the presence of HBV-DNA (by polymerase chain reaction; PCR) and its distribution (by in situ hybridization) in liver biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 32 patients with chronic hepatitis C and occult HBV infection and in 20 HBsAg chronic carriers were determined. The results showed that serum HBV-DNA levels were statistically lower (P = 0.001) in patients with occult HBV infection than in HBsAg chronic carriers. The HBV infection pattern in liver cells was identical between patients with occult HBV infection and those with chronic hepatitis B. However, the mean percentage of HBV-infected hepatocytes was significantly lower (P = 0.001) in patients with occult HBV infection (5 +/- 4.44%) than in HBsAg chronic carriers (17.99 +/- 11.58%). All patients with chronic hepatitis B have HBV-DNA in their PBMCs while this occurred in 50% of the cases with occult HBV infection. In conclusion, patients with occult HBV infection have a low number of HBV-infected hepatocytes and this fact could explain the lack of HBsAg detection and low viremia levels found in these cases.
authors.affiliation: Fundación para el Estudio de la Hepatitis Virales, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Iñigo
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mariscal
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Navacerrada
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Movilla
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carreño
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens