title: Fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C patients with occult hepatitis B co-infection.
abstract: Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in individuals without hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) can be identified in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. However, its role in fibrosis progression remains uncertain. This retrospective study compared the fibrosis progression (defined as fibrosis progression by at least one stage) and progression to severe fibrosis (fibrosis stage 3 or 4) in HCV patients with occult HBV infection. Occult HBV infection was diagnosed by the detection of HBV DNA in the serum of 74 consecutive anti-HCV positive patients by PCR. Thirty-one patients (41.9%) had occult HBV infection. All 74 patients had a median of 2 (range 2-3) liver biopsies. The median time between the first and last liver biopsy was 57.7 (range 15.0-132.8) months. Eleven of the 31 patients with occult HBV infection compared with 12 of the 43 patients without occult HBV infection had fibrosis progression (35.5% versus 27.9%, respectively, p=0.608). Six of the 31 patients with occult HBV infection compared with 8 of the 43 patients without occult HBV infection developed severe fibrosis (19.4% versus 18.6%, respectively, p=0.946). In conclusion, chronic HCV patients with occult HBV co-infection does not seem to progress more than patients without occult HBV infection. However, more large-scale studies are needed before a definite conclusion can be obtained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. ckhui23@gmail.com
authors.forename: Chee-Kin
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monto
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.forename: George K K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Teresa Lyn
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens