Open AccessInfluence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic hepatitis C outcomes
Author(s) -
Conrado FernándezRodríguez,
María Luisa Gutiérrez,
José Luis Lledó,
María Luisa Maestro de las Casas
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v17.i12.1558
Subject(s) - medicine , hbsag , hepatocellular carcinoma , cirrhosis , hepatitis b virus , immunology , occult , hepatitis b , hepatitis , liver disease , virology , hepatitis c virus , antibody , interferon , virus , gastroenterology , pathology , alternative medicine
Persistence of hepatitis B virus-DNA in the sera, peripheral blood mononuclear cells or in the liver of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients with or without serological markers of previous exposure (antibodies to HBsAg and/or to HB-core antigen) defines the entity called occult hepatitis B infection (OBI). Co-infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses is frequent in highly endemic areas. While this co-infection increases the risk of liver disease progression, development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and also increases the rate of therapeutic failure to interferon-based treatments than either virus alone, a potentially negative effect of OBI on clinical outcomes and of therapeutic response to current antiviral regimes of patients with chronic hepatitis C remains inconclusive.