title: Very low prevalence and no clinical significance of occult hepatitis B in a cohort of HIV-infected patients with isolated anti-HBc seropositivity: the BHOI study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Data on occult HBV infection in HIV patients are conflicting. We aimed to analyse the prevalence and clinical significance of occult hepatitis B in HIV-infected subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  An open-label, cross-sectional, multicentre study including all subjects with isolated anti-HBc seropositivity from a cohort of 3,030 HIV-infected patients was undertaken. HBsAg and HBsAb were both negative in all cases, and those patients with acute or convalescent hepatitis B were excluded. HBV DNA was quantified by PCR with a detection limit of 20 IU/mL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 5 cases (2.5%) of occult hepatitis B among 202 HIV-patients with isolated anti-HBc. The mean HBV DNA was 66 (15-112) IU/mL, none had symptomatic hepatitis, and their features, including aminotransferase levels, were similar to those without occult HBV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occult hepatitis due to HBV is very unusual in HIV-positive patients with isolated anti-HBc. The use of standard regimens of HAART including drugs with activity against HBV might underestimate the prevalence of occult HBV infection. These patients had a very low viral load, no identifiable risk factors, and no greater risk of hypertransaminasaemia or the development of symptomatic hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Viciana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Arco
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: López-Cortés
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Torre
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens