Impact of occult hepatitis B virus infection on efficacy and prognosis of interferon-alpha therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
It is reported that some patients with undetectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) have serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV). The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of occult HBV infection on the efficacy and prognosis of interferon-alpha (IFN) therapy in HCV patients.


METHODS
One hundred and forty HCV patients without HBsAg who received IFN therapy were studied. Serum HBV DNA was quantified by real-time detection polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Of 140 patients, 11 (7.9%) were HBV DNA-positive before IFN therapy. The serum HBV DNA levels ranged from 106 to 884 copies/ml. Four of these 11 patients showed a sustained virologic response by IFN, compared with 39 of 129 without HBV DNA (P = NS). Interestingly, two of the 11 patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after therapy, compared with 16 of 129 without HBV DNA (P = NS). In the serial study, serum HBV DNA was transiently undetectable during and after IFN; however, most became positive during follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Occult HBV infection may not have a significant impact on response to IFN therapy for chronic HCV and development of HCC after therapy. Occult HBV may be sensitive to IFN although HBV is not completely eradicated.
Hasegawa
Izumi
I
Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
Orito
Etsuro
E
Tanaka
Yasuhito
Y
Hirashima
Noboru
N
Sakakibara
Kenji
K
Sakurai
Mayumi
M
Suzuki
Seiji
S
Sugauchi
Fuminaka
F
Ohno
Tomoyoshi
T
Ueda
Ryuzo
R
Mizokami
Masashi
M
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins