ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and chronic alcoholism are major risk factors for chronic liver disease in Korea. METHODS: We investigated the prevalence of occult HBV infection in 198 non-alcoholic (group I) and 85 chronic alcoholic subjects (group II), none of whom showed the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Among chronic alcoholics, 25 patients showed cirrhosis. Using serum samples stored at -70 degrees C, liver enzymes, anti-Hbs, and IgG anti-HBc were measured via EIA and serum HBV DNA was quantified via real time PCR. RESULTS: IgG anti-HBc seropositivity, an indicator of past infection, was higher in group II (64.7%) than in group I (43.4%; p<0.01). Eleven of 283 patients (3.2%) were seropositive for HBV DNA, indicating occult infection, but this value did not differ between groups (group I: 3.5%, 7/198; group II: 4.7%, 4/85; p=0.64). In group II, HBV DNA seropositivity was higher in cirrhotic patients (12%, 3/25) than in non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease (1.7%, 1/60; p=0.074). CONCLUSIONS: Past HBV infection was more prevalent in alcoholics than non-alcoholics, but the prevalence of occult HBV infection did not differ between groups. However, alcoholics with cirrhosis tended to show a higher prevalence of occult HBV infection.