title: Evaluation of liver tissue by polymerase chain reaction for hepatitis B virus in patients with negative viremia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Fouad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thakeb
authors.forename: Magdy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Serafy
authors.forename: Soheir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.forename: Bahaa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Monir
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lashin
authors.forename: Raghda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marzaban
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Awady
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens