title: [Investigation of autoantibody, anti-HCV and anti-HIV seropositivities in "anti-HBc alone" positive samples].
abstract: "Anti-HBc alone" which is an unusual serologic pattern of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, may be detected in the seropositive samples for hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and in the presence of autoantibodies due to cross reactions. In this study, 20 serum samples with isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, which were detected in May 2005, have been investigated by means of the presence of some autoantibodies (anti-nuclear antibody; ANA and rheumatoid factor; RF), anti-HCV and anti-HIV, in the Central Laboratory of Dicle University Medical School. All of the "anti-HBc alone" samples were negative for HBV-DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and liver enzyme (ALT and AST) levels were normal except for three patients. As a result, a total of six (30%) samples were found positive. Four of them were positive for ANA and two were positive for anti-HCV, while one serum yielded positivity for both ANA and anti-HCV. Anti-HCV positive samples were searched for the presence of HCV-RNA by real-time PCR, and none were found positive. Of three patients with increased AST and ALT levels, one was anti-HCV positive, one was ANA positive, while the other was negative for all parameters. In conclusion, possible presence of autoantibodies and anti-HCV should be taken into consideration during the evaluation of isolated anti-HBc IgG positive test results.
authors.affiliation: Dicle Universitesi Tip Fakültesi, Tibbi Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dali, Diyarbakir.
authors.forename: Sevim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meşe
authors.forename: Tuncer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozekinci
authors.forename: Serif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Selahattin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atmaca
authors.forename: Eralp
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arikan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000150:complications; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies