title: Impact of occult hepatitis B virus infection on efficacy and prognosis of interferon-alpha therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Etsuro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orito
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakakibara
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Fuminaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sugauchi
authors.forename: Tomoyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Ryuzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins