TWO DISTINCT VIRAL ANTIGENS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE HEPATITIS B VIRUS: the hepatitis B surface antigen (HB(s)Ag, Australia antigen) and the hepatitis B core antigen (HB(c)Ag). HB(s)Ag, purified from the serum of asymptomatic human HB(s)Ag carriers, and HB(c)Ag, purified from the liver of a chimpanzee acutely infected with hepatitis B virus, were examined by serological and immune electron micro...

An increasing number of infertile, hepatitis B virus-infected individuals have opted for assisted reproductive technology. However, the impact of the hepatitis B virus carrier serostatus on neonatal outcomes has not been evaluated. Data from 504 patients who delivered singletons were analyzed. In females, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B e antigen, and antibody to hepatitis core antigen...

Background Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is considered a risk factor for progression of liver disease in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This disease progression is reported to be more significant in those with concomitant HIV infection. We aimed to determine the prevalence rate of OBI in a sample of HIV-positive patients. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six HIV-infected pati...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus infection is a very common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. It is estimated that 3% of Iranians are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus. Current population-based studies on both rural and urban prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in Iran are sparse with results that do not always agree. We performed this study to find the prevalence of hepatit...

In patients undergoing chemotherapy for the treatment of malignant disease, the reactivation of hepatitis B virus in hepatitis B surface antigen-positive patients has been frequently reported. However, activation has also been reported in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative patients who test positive for hepatitis B core antibody and/or hepatitis B surface antibody, who were thought to have ha...

Several assays in research format and two commercial assays for the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein or HCV core antigen have been developed in recent years. In order to elucidate the role and significance of HCV core antigen detection in the diagnosis and management of hepatitis C, we reviewed 56 studies published in peer-reviewed journals until September 2004. Evaluations in ...

Abstract Background Thalassemia patients that are conventionally treated by a regular transfusion regimen are exposed to blood born viral infections.The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) , and human Immunodeficiency virus(HIV) among all multitransfused thalassemia patients in west north of Iran. Material and methods A...

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is a multifunctional protein that can interfere with the induction of an immune response. It has been reported that the HCV core protein inhibits HBV replication in vitro. In this study, we test the effect of the HCV core gene on the priming of the immune response to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and on the replication of HBV in vivo. Our results s...