INTRODUCTION Anti-hepatitis B core antibody (Anti-HBc) alone is defined as the presence of anti-HBc in the absence of HBsAg and anti-HBs. The significance of this serological pattern as a predicting factor for occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains largely unknown. This study aimed to assess the significance of anti-HBc alone in predicting occult HBV infection in high-risk and low-ris...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Non-detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) envelope protein (hepatitis B surface antigen, HBsAg) in a chronically HBV infected individual has been described as occult infection. One possible reason for this phenotype is alteration in large (L-HBsAg) to small (S-HBsAg) envelope protein ratio associated with reduced or non secretion of HBsAg. This results in quantitative lev...

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection combined with occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been associated with increased risk of hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of occult HBV infection among Egyptian chronic HCV patients, the genotype and occurrence of surface gene mutations of HBV and the impact of co-infection on early...

PURPOSE The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular characteristics of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in 'anti-HBc alone' subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-four patients with 'anti-HBc alone' and 20 control patients diagnosed with HBV were analyzed regarding S and pre-S gene mutations. All specimens were analyzed for HBs Ag, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs. For specimens with ...

Diagnosis of hepatitis B is routinely based on of serological assay of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is generally defined as the detection of HBV -DNA in the serum or tissues of subjects who have negative test for HBsAg. Transmission of HBV infection has been documented from HBsAg negative, anti-HBc positive blood and organ donors. The aim of this...

OBJECTIVES We investigated the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers and occult HBV infection in a general adult population in Korea. METHODS HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were analyzed on 1,091 samples of routine medical check-up examinees by chemiluminescence immunoassay. Nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) was performed on 1,047 HBsAg-negative samples by multiplex real-time polyme...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative but hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA-positive infection-known as occult hepatitis B infection (OBI)-occurs in 1% to >15% of HIV-positive individuals in the United States and South Africa, respectively. However, there are no data on OBI from Botswana, a country known to be hyperendemic for chronic HBV infection and to have a significant HIV burd...

Background: The outcome of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is chronic or resolved HBV infection. Over the time, the levels of HBsAg or Anti-HBs declined and were not detectable in their sera and was named as isolated anti-HBc. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of isolated anti-HBc in previously HBV infected individuals.Methods: From April 2000 to September 2008, the resul...

Introduction and objective: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a member of Hepadnaviridae and a major causative agent of chronic and acute hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Genotype determination of HBV is based on PCR-RFLP and sequencing of genome of the virus. The genotype formation is mainly due to mutations of HBV precore, S, and YMDD (tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate ...