title: Clinical significance of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the frequency of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive individuals and the effects of occult HBV infection on the severity of liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one hepatitis B virus surface-antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients were divided according to their HBV serological status into groups A (anti-HBc positive, anti-HBs negative; n=18), B (anti-HBc positive, anti-HBs positive; n=34), and C (anti-HBc negative, anti-HBs positive/negative; n=19), and by anti-HCV positivity (anti-HCV positive; n=32 vs. anti-HCV negative; n=39). Liver biopsy samples were taken, and HBV DNA was quantified by real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrahepatic HBV DNA was detected in 32.4% (23/71) of the entire cohort, and HBV DNA levels were invariably low in the different groups. Occult HBV infection was detected more frequently in the anti-HBc-positive patients. Intrahepatic HBV DNA was detected in 28.1% (9/32) of the anti-HCV-positive and 35.9% (14/39) of the anti-HCV-negative subjects. The HCV genotype did not affect the detection rate of intrahepatic HBV DNA. In anti-HCV-positive cases, occult HBV infection did not affect liver disease severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low levels of intrahepatic HBV DNA were detected frequently in both HBsAg-negative and anti-HCV-positive cases. However, the frequency of occult HBV infection was not affected by the presence of hepatitis C, and occult HBV infection did not have a significant effect on the disease severity of hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Digestive Research, Digestive Disease Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Soon Chun Hyang University Seoul Hospital, Soon Chun Hyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Soung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Sung Ran
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Sae Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Gyune
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Koog
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Young Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Deok
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hong Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Yun Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Boo Sung
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
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