title: Hepatitis B virus infection and coronary atherosclerosis: results from a population with relatively high prevalence of hepatitis B virus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) in a population with relatively high prevalence of HBV.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera from 434 patients who underwent coronary angiography were tested for HBV antigens (HBsAg, HBeAg) and antibodies (Anti-HBs, Anti-HBc and Anti-HBe) by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-seven percent (224/291) of the patients with CAD and 73.4% (105/143) of the patients without angiographic evidence of atherosclerosis were seropositive for HBV (P > 0.05). However, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly higher in patients with CAD (P = 0.008), while lower in HBV seropositive population (P = 0.043 and P = 0.021 after adjustment for conventional risk factors).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested HBV infection negatively correlates with CRP levels, but seems not to be associated with coronary atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Center for Gene Immunization and Vaccine Research (Shanghai), Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: De-Yan
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cong-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ying-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Si-Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D002097:C-Reactive Protein