Prevalence and virological features of occult hepatitis B virus infection in female sex workers who work uncontrolled in Turkey.
BACKGROUND
There is little information about the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection (OHBVI). We have investigated the prevalence and virological features of OHBVI among female sex workers (FSWs) in Istanbul.


METHODS
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was tested in FSWs who work uncontrolled and were admitted to Venereal Diseases Hospital. HBV DNA and anti-HBs were investigated in all the HBsAg-negative cases. Hepatitis B envelope (HBe) antigen, anti-HBe, anti-hepatitis B core (HBc) antigen, HBV genotype, S gene and precore (PC)/basic core promoter (BCP) mutations were determined in HBV DNA-positive sera.


RESULTS
Two hundred and eighty-six volunteers were enrolled and 32.5% (n=93) of them had anti-HBs positivity. HBV DNA (range 30-209 copy/ml) was positive in 11 anti-HBs-negative and two anti-HBs-positive cases. The prevalence of OHBVI was 4.5% (13/286). Anti-HBc was positive in 77% (10/13) of those with OHBVI and anti-HBe positivity was 53.8% (7/13). Only genotype D was present in all occult HBV-infected cases. One PC (G1896A) and one BCP (T1762/A1764) mutation was found, but S gene mutation was not detected in any of the samples.


CONCLUSIONS
In this population, OHBVI may have a negligible role in the horizontal transmission because of a very low viral load, and PC and core promoter mutations are very rare.
Pinarbasi
Binnur
B
Department of Gastroenterohepatology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Onel
Derya
D
Cosan
Fulya
F
Akyuz
Filiz
F
Dirlik
Nezihe
N
Cakaloglu
Yilmaz
Y
Badur
Selim
S
Besisik
Fatih
F
Demir
Kadir
K
Okten
Atilla
A
Kaymakoglu
Sabahattin
S
D000328:Adult; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011477:Sex Work; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D017931:DNA Primers; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens