Open AccessDetection of hepatitis B virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction in HBsAG negative Senegalese patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary liver cancer
Author(s) -
Coursaget Pierre,
Le Cann Pierre,
Leboulleux Didier,
Diop MarieThérèse,
Bao Omar,
Coll AwaMarie
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1991.tb04384.x
Subject(s) - hbsag , cirrhosis , hepatocellular carcinoma , hepatitis b virus , polymerase chain reaction , medicine , antibody , virology , liver cancer , population , hepatitis b , virus , hepatitis c virus , hepadnaviridae , biology , gastroenterology , immunology , gene , genetics , environmental health
The polymerase chain reaction was used to search for hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐DNA sequences in the sera of HBsAg‐negative Senegalese patients suffering from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Amplified HBV‐DNA sequences were detected by hybridization with a digoxigenin‐labelled HBV‐DNA probe. HBV‐DNA was detected in 17% of HBsAg negative Senegalese subjects from the general population and in 44% and 58% of the patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHCC) respectively. In the control group, amplified HBV‐DNA was detected in 25% of the subjects without HBsAg and anti‐HBs antibodies, and in 6% of subjects positive for anti‐HBs antibodies. This study confirmed the hypothesis that there is an etiologic link between HBV and PHCC in HBsAg‐negative patients.