ABSTRACT
The prevalence of HBV markers is greater in alcoholics, with or without liver disease, than in general population. The high prevalence of HBsAg carriers in alcoholics suggests an inadequate immune response or a different expression of the HBV genome. Some studies suggest that in alcoholics HBsAg carriers, the HBV plays an important role in the progression of the liver disease, while others indicate that continuous alcohol consumption could intensify the liver damage caused by HBV. Active HBV infection has been demonstrated in alcoholics, even in absence of usual serologic markers. Finally, the integration of HBV in the hepatocites is frequent in alcoholics with liver disease; this could have importance in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.