title: Levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication during the nonreplicative phase: HBV quantification by real-time PCR in Korea.
abstract: The levels of HBV replication in the nonreplicative phase are not clear. We conducted this study to evaluate the levels of viral replication during the nonreplicative phase in chronic HBV-infected Korean patients using real-time PCR. A total of 125 patients were classified into three groups: inactive HBsAg carriers, inactive liver cirrhosis patients, and resolved chronic HBV-infected patients with loss of HBsAg. The real-time PCR detected HBV DNA in 112 cases (89.6%). The mean levels of HBV DNA were 3.84, 4.10, and 3.31 log copies/ml in the three groups, respectively (P <0.01). Ninety-five percent of inactive HBsAg carriers showed levels of HBV DNA lower than 6 x 10(4) copies/ml. In conclusion, we showed different levels of HBV DNA exactly in three groups during nonreplicative phases. We suggest that the cutoff level of HBV DNA in inactive HBsAg carriers should be readjusted to a lower level in future studies.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hyung Joon
authors: HJ
authors: Yim
authors: Kwan Soo
authors: KS
authors: Byun
authors: Yun Jung
authors: YJ
authors: Chang
authors: Yeon Seok
authors: YS
authors: Suh
authors: Jong Eun
authors: JE
authors: Yeon
authors: Chang Hong
authors: CH
authors: Lee
authors: Jung Ah
authors: JA
authors: Kwon
authors: Wangdon
authors: W
authors: Yoo
authors: Soo-Ok
authors: SO
authors: Kim
authors: Sun Pyo
authors: SP
authors: Hong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens