Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) is defined as low plasma level of HBV DNA with undetectable HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) outside the preseroconversion window period. The mechanisms leading to OBI remain largely unknown. The potential role of specific amino acid substitutions in the S protein from OBI in HBsAg production and excretion was examined in vitro. HBsAg was quantified in ...

BACKGROUND The roles of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at HLA-DP and IL28B loci on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection are unknown. METHODS We compared the HLA-DP (rs3077, rs9277378, rs3128917) and IL28B (rs12979860, rs8099917) polymorphisms of 203 CHB patients achieving spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance with 203 age- and sex-matched ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have a high risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with lower levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) have higher chances of losing HBsAg than those with high levels. However, little is known about whether higher levels of HBsAg increase risk for HCC. METHODS We followed 2688 Taiwanese HBsAg-...

BACKGROUND/AIMS The notion that acute hepatitis A superimposed on chronic hepatitis B infection leads to a worse outcome than acute hepatitis A alone remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) on the severity of acute hepatitis A. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 449 patients hospitalized for acute hepa...

Various findings concerning the clinical significance of quantitative changes in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during the acute and chronic phase of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have been reported. In addition to being a biomarker of HBV-replication activity, it has been reported that HBsAg could contribute to the immunopathogenesis of HBV persistent infection. Moreover, HBsAg could ...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continues to be a major health problem worldwide. The large-scale immunization programs for persons in high-risk groups, newborns, and adolescents have greatly reduced the incidence of new infection, but the ∼400 million HBV carriers with HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood remain a burden that will dwindle only within decades. Furthermore, an unknown dise...

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common cause of viral hepatitis with significant health complications including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Assays for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are the most frequently used tests to detect HBV infection. Vaccination for HBV can produce transiently detectable levels of HBsAg in patients. However, the time course and dur...

BACKGROUND The underlying mechanism of HBsAg-negative hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is notoriously difficult to elucidate because of the extremely low DNA levels which define the condition. We used a highly efficient amplification method to overcome this obstacle and achieved our aim which was to identify specific mutations or sequence variations associated with this entity. METHODS A tot...

Hepatitis adalah penyakit peradangan pada hati yang disebabkan oleh virus, bakteri, dan parasit. tersering infeksi virus B. Prevalensi B di Indonesia sebesar 1,2 % dinyatakan sebagai negara endemik B, sehingga setiap WNI akan bepergian keluar negeri untuk menjadi tenaga kerja (TKI) wajib melakukan pemeriksaan sesuai dengan peraturan ditetapkan Departemen Ketenagakerjaan. Pemeriksaan serologi st...