Evaluation of liver tissue by polymerase chain reaction for hepatitis B virus in patients with negative viremia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the clinical significance of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA localization in the liver tissue of patients with positive HBsAg and negative viremia.


METHODS
HBV virological parameters of 33 HBsAg positive chronic hepatitis patients, including seromarkers and HBV DNA amplification in both sera and liver biopsies, were evaluated.


RESULTS
Ten patients had negative viremia and positive HBV DNA in their liver biopsies. Most of them had HBeAg-negative/HBeAb-positive chronic hepatitis. Their liver biochemical and histopathological profiles were different from the viremic patients. Their disease pattern was designated as "hepatitis B in situ".


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis B in situ is a consequential entity which can be missed in clinical practice. It is a new clinical pattern of chronic HBV infection that considers HBV in liver biopsy and adds a new indication for antiviral therapy.
Thakeb
Fouad
F
Tropical Medicine Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
El-Serafy
Magdy
M
Zakaria
Soheir
S
Monir
Bahaa
B
Lashin
Sahar
S
Marzaban
Raghda
R
El-Awady
Mostafa
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002353:Carrier State; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014766:Viremia
D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens