title: Hepatitis C viremia interferes with serum hepatitis B virus surface antigen and DNA levels in hepatitis B uremics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HCV might cause reciprocal interference. We aimed to elucidate the influence of HCV and interleukin-28B (IL-28B) genetic variants in the HBV DNA and HBsAg levels in uremic HBV carriers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assessment of HCV and HBV viral loads, HBsAg levels and IL-28B genotype were performed in 229 HBsAg-positive patients from a cohort of 1,681 uremics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with HCV viremia had significantly lower HBV DNA (2.58 ± 0.80 vs. 3.16 ± 1.48 log IU/mL, p = 0.005) and HBsAg levels (1.33 ± 1.35 vs. 2.23 ± 1.31 log IU/mL, p = 0.002) compared with those without. IL-28B rs8099917 genotype had no impact on HBsAg and HBV DNA levels. In multivariate regression analysis, HCV RNA levels had a more significant negative correlation with HBsAg levels [β -0.905; 95 % confidence interval (CI) -1.477, -0.334; p = 0.002] than with HBV DNA levels (β -0.586; 95 % CI -1.206, 0.034; p = 0.06). The serum HBV DNA and HBsAg levels had a positive correlation (r = 0.43, p < 0.001) among the 215 HBeAg-negative patients. However, the correlation was not observed in patients with HCV viremia (r = 0.23, p = 0.29). Linear regression analysis revealed that age (β -0.286; 95 % CI -0.043, -0.014; p < 0.001) and the HBV DNA level (β 0.373; 95 % CI 0.239, 0.549; p < 0.001) correlated independently with the HBsAg level among HBeAg-negative patients without HCV viremia, but not among those with concomitant HCV viremia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV viremia suppressed both HBsAg and HBV DNA levels. The HBsAg levels correlated with the HBV DNA levels only in patients without concomitant HCV viremia.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tz-You 1st Rd, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.|Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tz-You 1st Rd, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lun
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jia-Jung
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Chin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tz-You 1st Rd, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tz-You 1st Rd, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jee-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jer-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shang-Jyh
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tz-You 1st Rd, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatitis Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Tz-You 1st Rd, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan. fish6069@gmail.com.|Faculty of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. fish6069@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ming-Lung
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Dual infection; HBV; HBsAg; HCV; Uremia