Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic Of Iran

en CHARACTERISTICS AND PREVALENCE OF OCCULT HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS C IN IRAN Legal Medicine Original Research Original Research ABSTRACT<o:p /> Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients who lack detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is called occult hepatitis B infection. Such infections have been frequently identified in patients with chronic hepatitis Cliver disease, but their prevalence is not known.<o:p /> Methods: 207 patients with chronic hepatitis C who were HCV -RNA and antiHCV positive were studied for HBV-DNA by PCR, and for HBsAg and anti-HBc by ELISA. DNA was extracted by high pure nucleic acid kit (Roche-Germany). HBVDNA amplification was done with a set of primer directed to the pre-S region. HBsAg and anti-HBc were evaluated by a commercially available ELISA kit (Dade Behring).<o:p /> Results: 23 of 207 patients with chronic hepatitis Cliver disease ( 11.1%) were positive for HBV-DNA (co-infection). Among this group 17 patients (8.2%) were HBsAg negative (occult infection). 8 of 17 patients with occult infection ( 4 7%) were anti-HBc positive and 9 were anti-HBc negative (53%). No significant difference was found in epidemiological and biochemical parameters in patients with HCV alone in comparison with HCV co-infected with occult hepatitis B (p= 0.453 for ALT and p= 0.498 for AST).<o:p /> Conclusion: Occult hepatitis B virus infections occur frequently in patients with chronic hepatitis Cliver disease and may have clinical significance.<o:p /> Occult hepatitis B. Surface antigen, chronic hepatitis C, PCR. 147 151 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-306&slc_lang=en&sid=1 TAHEREH ZANDIEH zandyeh@ ibto.ir 20031947532846003030 20031947532846003030 Yes Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Sheikh Fazlollah Expressway. ShahidHemmat. Tehran, Iran. NADER COHAN 20031947532846003031 20031947532846003031 No The Research Center of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Tehran. Iran. SHAHRAM SAMIEI 20031947532846003032 20031947532846003032 No The Research Center of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Tehran. Iran. SEDIEGHEH AMINI 20031947532846003033 20031947532846003033 No The Research Center of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Tehran. Iran. ZAHRA ATAEI 20031947532846003034 20031947532846003034 No The Research Center of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Tehran. Iran. MAHNAZ KAVARI 20031947532846003035 20031947532846003035 No The Research Center of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. Tehran. Iran.