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Prevalence and virological features of occult hepatitis B virus infection in female sex workers who work uncontrolled in Turkey
Author(s) -
Pinarbasi Binnur,
Onel Derya,
Cosan Fulya,
Akyuz Filiz,
Dirlik Nezihe,
Cakaloglu Yilmaz,
Badur Selim,
Besisik Fatih,
Demir Kadir,
Okten Atilla,
Kaymakoglu Sabahattin
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
liver international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.873
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1478-3231
pISSN - 1478-3223
DOI - 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2008.01809.x
Subject(s) - hbsag , medicine , hepatitis b virus , virology , genotype , transmission (telecommunications) , population , occult , antigen , hepatitis b , viral load , immunology , virus , gene , biology , pathology , biochemistry , alternative medicine , environmental health , electrical engineering , engineering
Background: There is little information about the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection (OHBVI). We have investigated the prevalence and virological features of OHBVI among female sex workers (FSWs) in Istanbul. Methods: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was tested in FSWs who work uncontrolled and were admitted to Venereal Diseases Hospital. HBV DNA and anti‐HBs were investigated in all the HBsAg‐negative cases. Hepatitis B envelope (HBe) antigen, anti‐HBe, anti‐hepatitis B core (HBc) antigen, HBV genotype, S gene and precore (PC)/basic core promoter (BCP) mutations were determined in HBV DNA‐positive sera. Results: Two hundred and eighty‐six volunteers were enrolled and 32.5% ( n =93) of them had anti‐HBs positivity. HBV DNA (range 30–209 copy/ml) was positive in 11 anti‐HBs‐negative and two anti‐HBs‐positive cases. The prevalence of OHBVI was 4.5% (13/286). Anti‐HBc was positive in 77% (10/13) of those with OHBVI and anti‐HBe positivity was 53.8% (7/13). Only genotype D was present in all occult HBV‐infected cases. One PC (G1896A) and one BCP (T1762/A1764) mutation was found, but S gene mutation was not detected in any of the samples. Conclusion: In this population, OHBVI may have a negligible role in the horizontal transmission because of a very low viral load, and PC and core promoter mutations are very rare.