6533b826fe1ef96bd1283f55

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Occult hepatitis B virus infection

Massimo LevreroGiovanni SquadritoClaudio TiribelliMario U. MondelliAntonio CraxìTeresa PollicinoFabio FarinatiClara BalsanoGiovanni Raimondo

subject

MaleACUTE VIRAL-HEPATITISPOSTTRANSFUSION HEPATITISHBV SURFACE-ANTIGENComorbidityHBV genome HBsAg-negative liver DNA liver diseasemedicine.disease_causeSeverity of Illness IndexSEROLOGICAL MARKERS; TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS; POSTTRANSFUSION HEPATITIS; HEPATITIS C VIRUS; HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA; HBV SURFACE-ANTIGEN; ACUTE VIRAL-HEPATITIS; CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE; POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION; occult hepatitis B virus infectionLiver diseaseCHRONIC LIVER-DISEASEHEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMAChronic/diagnosis* Hepatitis BDifferential Disease Progression Female Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/analysis* Hepatitis Bhbsag-negative; hbv genome; liver disease; liver dnaIncidenceHepatocellular/diagnosis CarcinomaLiver NeoplasmsGastroenterologyHepatitis CHepatitis BPOLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTIONPrognosisChronic/epidemiology* Humans Incidence Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology* Male Prognosis Risk Assessment Severity of Illness IndexCarcinoma Hepatocellular/diagnosis Carcinoma Hepatocellular/epidemiology* Comorbidity DNA Viral/analysis Diagnosis Differential Disease Progression Female Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/analysis* Hepatitis B Chronic/diagnosis* Hepatitis B Chronic/epidemiology* Humans Incidence Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology* Male Prognosis Risk Assessment Severity of Illness IndexHepatocellular carcinomaDisease Progressionhbv genomeFemaleliver diseaseCarcinoma HepatocellularTRANSPLANT RECIPIENTSRisk AssessmentDiagnosis Differentialoccult hepatitis B virus infectionHepatitis B ChronicViral/analysis DiagnosismedicineHumansRisk factorHepatitis B virusHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatologybusiness.industryCarcinomaHEPATITIS C VIRUShbsag-negativeliver dnamedicine.diseaseOccultVirologyHepatocellular/epidemiology* Comorbidity DNASEROLOGICAL MARKERSViral replicationImmunologyDNA Viralbusiness

description

Many studies have shown that hepatitis B virus infection may also occur in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative patients. This occult infection has been identified both in patients with cryptogenic liver disease and in patients with hepatitis C virus-related chronic hepatitis, and much evidence suggests that it may be a risk factor of hepatocellular carcinoma development. However several aspects of this occult infection remain unclear such as its prevalence and the factor(s) involved in the lack of circulating hepatitis B surface antigen. Moreover, it is uncertain whether the occult hepatitis B virus infection may contribute to chronic liver damage, considering that it is usually associated with a suppressed viral replication. Evidence and hypotheses concerning this fascinating field of bio-medical research are reviewed.

10.1016/s1590-8658(00)80362-xhttp://hdl.handle.net/11573/438496