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Lack of association between occult hepatitis B virus DNA viral load and aminotransferase levels in patients with hepatitis C virus‐related chronic liver disease
Author(s) -
FUJIWARA KEI,
TANAKA YASUHITO,
ORITO ETSURO,
OHNO TOMOYOSHI,
KATO TAKANOBU,
SUGAUCHI FUMINAKA,
SUZUKI SEIJI,
HATTORI YUKO,
SAKURAI MAYUMI,
HASEGAWA IZUMI,
OZASA TAKASHI,
KANIE FUTOSHI,
KANO HIDEYUKI,
UEDA RYUZO,
MIZOKAMI MASASHI
Publication year - 2004
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.1440-1746.2004.03439.x
Subject(s) - medicine , liver disease , hepatitis b virus , occult , hepatitis c virus , immunology , virology , virus , hepatitis , hepatitis b , antibody , gastroenterology , pathology , alternative medicine
Background and Aim: Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients might enhance the severity of chronic liver disease (CLD). To elucidate the correlation between occult HBV infection and the clinical course of HCV‐related CLD, we evaluated whether the fluctuation of occult HBV‐DNA directly affects the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. Methods: Forty‐one patients with HCV‐related CLD who received regular outpatient treatment and 42 age‐, sex‐, and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen positivity‐matched healthy volunteers were enrolled. Serum HBV‐DNA was quantitatively detected using real‐time detection polymerase chain reaction (RTD–PCR). Serial serum samples in three patients were measured for HBV‐DNA, ALT and HCV core antigen. Results: Hepatitis B virus DNA was amplified in eight of the HCV‐related CLD patients (19.5%), which was significantly higher than that of healthy volunteers (2.4%). No significant difference between the genotype 1 HCV‐related CLD group and the genotype 2 group was found. Based on the analyses using serial serum samples, the elevation of HBV‐DNA did not occur before the ALT flares, but occurred at the same time or after the ALT flares. Conclusions: The prevalence of occult HBV infection of HCV‐related CLD is significantly higher than that of control. Occult HBV infection has no influence on ALT flares among patients with HCV‐related CLD.