|
|
|
|
|
 HTML
PDF |
|
Helmy A, Al-Sebayel MI.Isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
World J Gastroenterol 2006 July;12(27):4406-4410
Isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Helmy A, Al-Sebayel MI.
Department of Liver Transplantation, Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, MBC: 72, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia. ahsalem10@hotmail.com
AIM:To evaluate the prevalence of isolated anti-HBc in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and its relation to disease severity.METHODS:We screened all patients with chronic HCV infection referred to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), and anti-HBc. One hundred and sixty nine patients who tested negative for both HBsAg and anti-HBs were included in this study.RESULTS:Pathologically, 59 had biopsy-proven cirrhosis and 110 had chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Of these 169 patients, 85 (50.3%) tested positive for anti-HBc. Patients with CAH had significantly higher prevalence of isolated anti-HBc than patients with cirrhosis, 71 (64.5%) and 14 (23.7%) respectively (P<0.001). Twenty-five patients were tested for HBV DNA by qualitative PCR. The test was positive in 3 of them (12%; occult HBV infection).CONCLUSION:Isolated anti-HBc alone is common in Saudi patients with chronic HCV infection, and is significantly more common in those with CAH than those with cirrhosis. Therefore, a screening strategy that only tests for HBsAg and anti-HBs in these patients will miss a large number of individuals with isolated anti-HBc, who may be potentially infectious. |
|
|
|
The WJG Press, Room 1066, Yishou Garden ,
No. 58, North Langxinzhuang Road,
PO Box 2345, Beijing 100023, China
Fax: +86-10-85381893
Telephone: +86-10-85381892
E-mail: wjg@wjgnet.com
http: // www.wjgnet.com
Copyright 2004-2007 by The WJG Press and Beijing Baishideng BioMed Technology Co., Ltd.
| |
Editorial Board
