title: Isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in human immunodeficiency virus type-1-infected individuals.
abstract: We screened 651 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected subjects for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs). Of a total of 387 subjects who tested negative for both HBsAg and anti-HBs, 142 underwent further testing for isolated presence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Of these 142 subjects, 60 (42%) tested positive for anti-HBc (isolated anti-HBc). Individuals coinfected with HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were more likely to have isolated anti-HBc than were subjects with HIV-1 alone (80% vs. 16%, respectively). Our findings suggest that individuals with HIV-1/HCV coinfection for whom there is no serological evidence for hepatitis B virus when screened with HBsAg and anti-HBs will be positive for anti-HBc in >75% of cases. A screening strategy that tests only for HBsAg and anti-HBs in HIV-1-infected patients will miss a large number of individuals with isolated anti-HBc.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. rgandhi@partners.org
authors.forename: Rajesh T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: Alysse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wurcel
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boczanowski
authors.forename: Roslyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerwin
authors.forename: Colleen P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szczepiorkowski
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toner
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Sax
authors.forename: Chinweike
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ukomadu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens