Occult B infection in the Brazilian northeastern region: a preliminary report
Braz. j. infect. dis
;
12(4): 310-312, Aug. 2008.
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-496769
ABSTRACT
A sentinel study on viral hepatitis is currently being carried out in the village of Cavunge in a semiarid rural region of the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. This study has identified individuals in whom anti-HBc IgG was the only serological marker for hepatitis B virus (HBV). This serological pattern may constitute evidence of occult HBV infection. This study Investigated the possibility of occult hepatitis B virus infection in individuals in a rural community who tested positive for anti-HBc IgG alone. A cross-sectional population-based study. ELISA III was performed on serum samples to test for serological viral markers, and ultrasensitive PCR (US-PCR) was used to assess viremia. Among the 1,536 serum samples, 3.6 percent (n=55) were positive for anti-HBc alone. Four years after this first serological survey, 31 of those 55 individuals (56.3 percent) were retested, and 11 (35.5 percent) remained anti-HBc positive alone. Two of these 31 (6.5 percent) were HBV-DNA positive based on US-PCR, with normal aminotransferase levels in both cases. Cases of occult hepatitis B infection were identified in this semiarid rural community of northeastern Brazil, where endemicity of HBV is moderate.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Immunoglobulin G
/
Hepatitis Antibodies
/
Endemic Diseases
/
Hepatitis B
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prevalence study
/
Prognostic study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Braz. j. infect. dis
Journal subject:
Communicable Diseases
Year:
2008
Type:
Article
/
Project document
Affiliation country:
Brazil
/
France
Institution/Affiliation country:
Claude Bernard University/FR
/
Medical School of Bahia/BR
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