ABSTRACT
Background: HBV infection is a major Egyptian and global health problem. Occult hepatitis B virus [HBV infection has been reported in patients with chronic hepatitis C who are negative, for HBV, surface antigen [HBs Ag]. However, the significance of "silent" HBV in hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is unknown. Overt HBV and HCV co-infection has been reported to be associated with a more severe liver disease, increased frequency of HCC and resistance to a-interferon [alpha-INF] therapy
Aim of work: to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of occult HBV infection in chronic HCV-positive HBs Ag-negative patients in Al-Ahrar General Hospitals
Study design: a cross sectional study was done on chronic hepatitis C virus infected patients [HBs Ag-negative] who were receiving their treatment, 150 patients were randomly selected at different stages of treatment. Their sera were investigated for the presence of anti-core antibodies by ELZSA then HB V- DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction [PCR]
Results: HBV-DNA has detected in [4%] of HCV-injected patients. HBV-DNA was detected in [24%] of anti-HBc-positive chronic HCV patients' sera, it was not detected in any of anti-HBc-negative chronic HCV patients. There was no significant difference in any of the clinical and/or laboratory data tested between anti-HBc-positive patients with and without HBV-DNA in the serum
Conclusion: About 4% of HCV-infected patients had occult HBV infection. Occult HBV infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C does not seem to modify the progression of chronic liver disease in short term follow up on small numbers of patients. Anti-HBc antibody detection ELISA is a cheap and sensitive method, so it can be used as only a screening tool preliminary before HBV DNA detection by PCR for occult HBV