title: Evaluation of the Potential Risk of Hepatitis B Virus Transmission in Skin Allografting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Skin transplantation is associated with potential risk of infectious disease transmission; however, the exclusion of donors owing to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection will worsen the shortage of allograft skin supply. We report a paired study to evaluate the potential risk of HBV transmission in skin allografting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of HBV DNA in the serum and skin from 37 burn patients with chronic HBV infection (CHB) was monitored by a HBV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the positive rates were compared by Fisher's exact probability test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a high consistency in the HBV serology profile between HBV DNA PCR (83.78%) and the clinical HBV test. Only 2 patients who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B e antigen, and hepatitis B core antibody had detectable HBV DNA in the skin tissue; however, no hepatitis B surface antigen was detected as examined by immunohistochemistry staining. There was a significant difference between the positive rates of HBV DNA in the serum and skin (χc(2) = 27.03; P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The potential risk for HBV transmission by skin allografting is very low. Given that China has a large population of patients with HBV, the acceptance of skin from donors with CHB to the skin bank would increase the number of tissue donations to meet the urgent medical need for skin transplantation.
authors: Institute of Burns, Wuhan City Hospital No. 3 & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China. Electronic address: 13971239318@163.com.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Wang
authors: Institute of Burns, Wuhan City Hospital No. 3 & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Chen
authors: State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Dong
authors: Institute of Burns, Wuhan City Hospital No. 3 & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Zhao
authors: Institute of Burns, Wuhan City Hospital No. 3 & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Tan
authors: Institute of Burns, Wuhan City Hospital No. 3 & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Tian
authors: Institute of Burns, Wuhan City Hospital No. 3 & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors: Q
authors: Q
authors: Xie
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009436:Neural Tube Defects; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens