title: Persistence of occult hepatitis B after removal of the hepatitis B virus-infected liver.
abstract: Occult hepatitis B is defined as the persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in persons without HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). The primary site for HBV persistence in persons with occult hepatitis B is considered to be the liver. We provide virological and immunological evidence for long-term persistence of HBV, even after removal of the infected liver, in 25 consecutive, randomly selected liver transplant recipients who tested positive for anti-HBV core antigen (anti-HBcAg) and negative for HBsAg at the time of transplantation. Furthermore, in a cohort of 101 anti-HBcAg-positive/HBsAg-negative patients, 2 showed clinical HBV reactivation after transplantation. Thus, these data indicate that a long-term extrahepatic HBV reservoir exists, which is relevant not only for liver transplantation but also for other types of transplantations, including bone marrow grafting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ciesek
authors.forename: Fabian A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Helfritz
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Strassburg
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neipp
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciner
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fytili
authors.forename: Hans L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tillmann
authors.forename: Michael Peter
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Manns
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wedemeyer
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D014775:Virus Activation
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens