Lack of association between occult hepatitis B virus DNA viral load and aminotransferase levels in patients with hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients might enhance the severity of chronic liver disease (CLD). To elucidate the correlation between occult HBV infection and the clinical course of HCV-related CLD, we evaluated whether the fluctuation of occult HBV-DNA directly affects the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level.


METHODS
Forty-one patients with HCV-related CLD who received regular outpatient treatment and 42 age-, sex-, and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen positivity-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled. Serum HBV-DNA was quantitatively detected using real-time detection polymerase chain reaction (RTD-PCR). Serial serum samples in three patients were measured for HBV-DNA, ALT and HCV core antigen.


RESULTS
Hepatitis B virus DNA was amplified in eight of the HCV-related CLD patients (19.5%), which was significantly higher than that of healthy volunteers (2.4%). No significant difference between the genotype 1 HCV-related CLD group and the genotype 2 group was found. Based on the analyses using serial serum samples, the elevation of HBV-DNA did not occur before the ALT flares, but occurred at the same time or after the ALT flares.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of occult HBV infection of HCV-related CLD is significantly higher than that of control. Occult HBV infection has no influence on ALT flares among patients with HCV-related CLD.
Fujiwara
Kei
K
Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
Tanaka
Yasuhito
Y
Orito
Etsuro
E
Ohno
Tomoyoshi
T
Kato
Takanobu
T
Sugauchi
Fuminaka
F
Suzuki
Seiji
S
Hattori
Yuko
Y
Sakurai
Mayumi
M
Hasegawa
Izumi
I
Ozasa
Takashi
T
Kanie
Futoshi
F
Kano
Hideyuki
H
Ueda
Ryuzo
R
Mizokami
Masashi
M
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D019562:Viral Load
D004279:DNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase