Occult hepatitis B virus infection and cryptogenic chronic hepatitis in an area with intermediate prevalence of HBV infection.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the possible role of occult HBV infection in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis in Iranian patients.


METHODS
After exclusion of autoimmune, metabolic and viral etiologies, 104 consecutive adult patients with histologic and biochemical features of chronic hepatitis and negative HBsAg were enrolled in the study. Qualitative PCR with a sensitivity of 150 x 10(3) copies/L, using two primers for Pre-S and core regions was applied to measure presence of HBV DNA in serum of the patients.


RESULTS
All 104 patients completed the study. Qualitative HBV DNA was positive in two patients (1.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
Occult HBV infection has negligible role in the pathogenesis of cryptogenic chronic hepatitis in Iranian patients.
Kaviani
Mohammad Javad
MJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. kavianim@sums.ac.ir
Behbahani
Behzad
B
Mosallaii
Mohammad Jafar
MJ
Sari-Aslani
Fatemeh
F
Taghavi
Seyed Alireza
SA
D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral