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Histological changes of concurrent hepatitis C virus infection in asymptomatic hepatitis B virus patients
Author(s) -
LAU GEORGE KK,
WU PUI CHEE,
LO CHI KIN,
LAU VICKY,
LAM SHIU KUM
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1998.tb00545.x
Subject(s) - medicine , virology , hepatitis , asymptomatic , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis b , coinfection , virus , hepatitis c , immunology , pathology
In chimpanzees and in vitro cell culture studies, hepatitis C infection has been shown to suppress hepatitis B virus expression. In addition, hepatitis C infection can cause much more severe liver disease in patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C infection in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B Hong Kong Chinese patients and the histological changes and hepatic expression of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. Five hundred and seventy‐one Hong Kong Chinese asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B patients were studied. Only four (0.7%) were hepatitis C virus antibody positive; they were also all positive for hepatitis C viral RNA in serum by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Portal lymphoid aggregates and bile duct damage was noted in the liver sections of three of the four patients. Hepatic expression of hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in three patients; none had detectable hepatitis B core antigen. By branched DNA assay, serum hepatitis B DNA could not be detected in any of the four patients, but three had hepatitis C RNA. By in situ RT‐PCR, hepatitis C RNA was detected in the cytoplasm of three of the four patients. These findings suggest that hepatitis C coinfection in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B patients is uncommon in Hong Kong Chinese and active hepatitis B viral replication is absent in these patients.