Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in haemodialysis patients from central Greece

AIM:To assess the hepatitis B virus(HBV)-DNA and the prevalence of occult HBV infection in end-stage renal failure(ESRF)patients from Central Greece. METHODS:Sera from 366 ESRF patients attending five out of six dialysis units from Central Greece were investigated for HBV-DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction.Only serum samples with repeatedly detectable HBV-DNA were considered positive.IgG antibodies to hepatitis C virus(anti-HCV)were tested by a third generation enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELIS...     

The burden of HBV infection in HCV patients in Italy and the risk of reactivation under DAA therapy

Background

There is increasing awareness of HBV reactivation in HCV-RNA-positive/HBV-coinfected patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) treated with oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).

Prevalence,risk factors and impact of occult HCV infection on liver morbidity among haemodialysis patients: hospital-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives

Haemodialysis (HD) patients are at risk for blood-borne infections as occult HCV infection, which justifies comprehensive studies. We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of occult HCV infection (OCI) among HD patients.     

Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen as a screening test for occult hepatitis B virus infection in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C patients

Purpose  The presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in liver tissue and/or in serum in the absence of detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is called occult HBV infection. This pattern was identified in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The aim of this study was to determine the role of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) as a screening test for occult HBV infection in Egyptian chronic HCV patients. Methods  One hundred chronic HCV patients negative for HBsAg were included and subdivided into two groups according to anti-HBc-IgG seroreactivity. Group A included 71 patients positive for anti-HBc (53 men and 18 women, mean age ± SD 48.8 ± 9.6 years), and group B included 29 patients negative for anti-HBc (18 men and 11 women, mean age ± SD 46.6 ± 11.7 years). All patients were subjected to full clinical assessment, routine laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasonography and quantification of HBV-DNA by real-time PCR. Results  Chronic HCV patients positive for anti-HBc have more severe liver disease compared with anti-HBc negative patients. Although HBV-DNA in the serum was detected in 22.5% of anti-HBc-positive chronic HCV patients, it was not detected in any of anti-HBc-negative chronic HCV patients. There was no significant difference in any of the clinical and laboratory data tested between anti-HBc-positive patients with and without HBV-DNA in the serum. Conclusion  A significant number of patients with anti-HBc had detectable levels of HBV-DNA in the serum. Egyptian chronic HCV patients have a high prevalence of occult HBV infection.     

HBV、HCV在原发性肝癌与其他恶性肿瘤患者及健康人群中的感染率调查

为了调查原发性肝癌与其他恶性肿瘤患者及健康人群中HBV、HCV感染率 ,将上述三组人群的HBV、HCV的感染情况进行分析比较。结果显示原发性肝癌组HBV感染率、HBV/HCV混合感染率均明显高于其它恶性肿瘤组和健康对照组 (P <0 0 1) ;其他恶性肿瘤组与健康对照组之间无显著差异 (P >0 0 5 ) ;单纯HCV感染率在三组之间均无显著差异 (P >0 0 5 )。由此可见HBV感染、HBV/HCV混合感染是原发性肝癌的主要致病因素     

Hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance are associated with severe fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis caused by HBV or HCV infection

Background and aims: Steatosis and insulin resistance (IR) are the major disease modifying in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Only few studies evaluated these features in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We aimed to assess the prevalence and the factors related to steatosis and IR in CHB patients, compared with CHC subjects, and to evaluate the potential association between these features and fibrosis severity. Material and methods: One hundred and seventy consecutive patients with CHB (28 HBeAg positive, 142 HBeAg negative), were evaluated using liver biopsy and metabolic measurements and matched for sex, age and body mass index with 170 genotype 1 CHC patients. IR was defined if HOMA‐IR>2.7. All biopsies were scored for grading and staging by Scheuer's score, and the steatosis was considered significant if ≥10%. Results: The prevalence of significant steatosis was similar in both CHB and CHC patients (31 vs. 38%; P=0.14). IR rate was significantly higher in CHC than in CHB patients (42 vs. 26%; P=0.002). Severe fibrosis (F3–F4), at multivariate analysis, was independently associated with older age (OR 1.050, 95% CI 1.009–1.093), steatosis >10% (OR 4.375, 95% CI 1.749–10.943), and moderate–severe necroinflammatory activity (OR 8.187, 95% CI 2.103–31.875), regardless of HBeAg status, in CHB patients, and with older age (OR 1.080, 95% CI 1.028–1.136), IR (OR 2.640, 95% CI 1.110–6.281), steatosis >10% (OR 3.375, 95% CI 1.394–8.171), and moderate–severe necroinflammatory activity (OR 8.988, 95% CI 1.853–43.593) in CHC patients. Conclusions: CHB patients had high steatosis prevalence, similar to CHC controls, but lower IR rate. Both steatosis and IR in CHC, and only steatosis in CHB, are independently associated with fibrosis severity.     

廊坊地区孕产妇乙肝和丙肝感染情况分析

2007年1月~2009年12月来本院住院的足月产妇及门诊的孕检者共7 601人,分别检测其HBsAg和抗-HCV。结果 7 601例被检测者中HBsAg阳性481例,抗-HCV阳性23例。2007、2008和2009年HBsAg阳性率分别为7.17%(159/2217)、6.52%(174/2670)和5.45%(148/2714),抗-HCV阳性率分别为0.40%(9/2217)、0.33%(9/2670)和0.18%(5/2714)。检测结果表明廊坊地区孕产妇乙、丙肝感染率逐年下降;提示应加强对孕产妇血源性疾病的检测和干预以减少母婴垂直传播。     

拉米夫定治疗HBeAg阴性的慢性HBV感染近期临床观察

观察和评价拉米夫定治疗ＨＢｅＡｇ阴性慢性ＨＢＶ感染的近期疗效。ＨＢｅＡｇ阴性／ＨＢＶ ＤＮＡ阳性的慢性ＨＢｖ感染者２６例（包括１１例乙肝肝硬化），ＨＢｅＡｇ阳性／ＨＢＶ　ＤＮＡ阳性的慢性ＨＢＶ感染者３０例（包括１０例乙肝肝硬化），均以拉米夫定治疗６个月后进行疗效评价，并继续观察５－１６个月。两组的ＡＬＴ／ＡＳＴ复常率分别为８４．７％／８８．５％和８６．７％／８６．７％（Ｐ＞０．０５），肝硬化患者Ｃｈｉｌｄ－Ｐｕｇｈ积分均明显下降，ＨＢＶ　ＤＮＡ全部阴转。ＨＢｅＡｇ阳性组３例发生ＹＭＤＤ变异，ＨＢｅＡｇ阴性组无１例变异。拉米夫定对于ＨＢｅＡｇ阴性／ＨＢＶ　ＤＮＡ阳性者，同样是十分安全有效的抗病毒治疗药物。ＨＢｅＡｇ阴性者的耐药发生率可能低于ＨＢｅＡｇ阳性者。     

Pulmonary alterations in patients with chronic HCV infection

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C virus infection has been reported in association with several extrahepatic manifestations. Included in this list is interstitial lung involvement. AIMS: The aim of the present study was to evaluate pulmonary alterations in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. PATIENTS: Twenty-one patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection were enrolled into a prospective study. One patient has been excluded because of underlying tuberculosis. METHODS: All patients underwent pulmonary function tests, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide and high-resolution computed tomography of the chest. RESULTS: Forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in first second/forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in first second values were reduced to less than 80% of predicted values in 3, 11 and 5 patients, respectively. Diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide was low in 12 patients (60%), 8 of whom had simultaneous decrease in diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide/VA values. Thorax high-resolution computed tomography revealed abnormal findings in eight patients (40%). Fifteen patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection (75%) had at least one pulmonary alteration as evidenced by abnormal pulmonary function tests, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide and/or high-resolution computed tomography results. CONCLUSION: In spite of a limited study population, these findings may implicate that pulmonary manifestations of chronic hepatitis C virus infection are frequently underdiagnosed.     

HBV reactivation in patients with HCV/HBV cirrhosis on treatment with direct‐acting antivirals

Anecdotal reports suggest that patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) hepatitis and overt or occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection may reactivate HBV when HCV is suppressed or cleared by direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs). We assessed the prevalence of overt or previous HBV coinfection and the risk of HBV reactivation in patients with HCV cirrhosis treated with DAAs. This was a retrospective cohort of 104 consecutive patients with HCV cirrhosis treated with DAAs. Serum HCV‐RNA and HBV‐DNA were tested at weeks 4, 8 and 12 of DAAs therapy and at week 12 of follow‐up. At the start of DAAs, eight patients (7.7%) were HBsAg positive/HBeAg negative with undetectable HBV‐DNA and low levels of quantitative HBsAg (four on nucleos(t)ide analogues [NUCs] and four inactive carriers), 37 patients (35.6%) had markers of previous HBV infection (25 anti‐HBc positive, 12 anti‐HBc/anti‐HBs positive) and 59 (56.7%) had no evidence of HBV infection. Sixty‐seven patients (64.4%) were HCV‐RNA negative at week 4 and 98 (94.2%) achieved sustained virological response. All four HBsAg‐positive patients treated with NUCs remained HBV‐DNA negative, but three of four untreated patients showed an increase in HBV‐DNA of 2‐3 log without a biochemical flare and achieved HBV‐DNA suppression when given NUCs. During or after DAAs, by conventional assay, HBV‐DNA remained not detectable in all 37 anti‐HBc‐positive patients but in three of them (8.1%) HBV‐DNA became detectable with a highly sensitive PCR. HBV reactivation is likely to occur in untreated HBV/HCV‐coinfected cirrhotic patients when they undergo HCV treatment with DAAs. Pre‐emptive therapy with NUCs should be considered in this setting. Anti‐HBc‐positive patients rarely reactivate HBV without clinical or virological outcomes.     

Prevalence of hepatitis B in haemodialysis nursing staff in athens

Background: Healthcare workers are at high risk of acquiring hepatitis B and particularly haemodialysis staff. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of hepatitis B markers in haemodialysis nurses and to explore the determinants of the infection. Patients and methods: Two hundred and sixteen haemodialysis nurses from 20 haemodialysis units in Athens completed an anonymous questionnaire, their blood samples were taken and tested for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers. Results: The prevalence of positive HBsAg among nurses was 0.5%. Anti‐HBc positivity due to past exposure to HBV was 12.5%. A total of 87.5% of the participants had immunity to HBV. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that previous exposure to HBV was related positively with the age of the haemodialysis nursing staff [odd ratios (OR): 1.115, 95% CI: 1.014–1.226, P = 0.025]. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV in the haemodialysis nursing staff in Athens is low, the vaccination coverage and the immunity to HBV are high in comparison to previous reports.     

Fluctations in viral load (HCV RNA) are relatively insignificant in untreated patients with chronic HCV infection

SUMMARY. A recently available assay to quantify serum viral load in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been used to evaluate the effects of anti-viral therapies. However, variability in HCV RNA levels in untreated patients with HCV infection has not yet been established. We therefore prospectively measured the biological fluctuations of HCV RNA in sera from untreated patients with chronic HCV infection. Sera were collected from seven patients at 8 am and 4 pm on the same day to assess the effect of diurnal variation, daily for 5 days in a further 10 patients, biweekly for 6 weeks in nine patients and monthly for 3 months in 11 patients. All patients had biopsy-proven chronic liver disease with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values and had not received anti-viral treatment. HCV RNA was measured blinded, in duplicate, using the quantitative branched (bDNA) amplification assay (Quantiplex™ HCV RNA. Chiron Co. Erneryville. CA) 36 of the 37 patients studied had measurable HCV RNA throughout the study. There was no significant correlation between HCV RNA levels and ALT values or histological activity. HCV RNA levels did not appear to vary significantly within any of the groups studied and there did not appear to be a change associated with diurnal variation. All individual patients demonstrated less than a threefold fluctuation in HCV RNA throughout the study period. Hence HCV RNA levels remain relatively stable in untreated individuals with chronic HCV infection. Changes of a magnitude of threefold (0.5 log) or greater in HCV RNA levels were not observed in untreated patients.     

Influence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic hepatitis C outcomes

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 ...     

HIV感染献血者并发感染HBV、HCV及梅毒调查分析

目的:了解曲靖市无偿献血人群中艾滋病病毒(HIV)感染者并发感染乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)、丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)和梅毒的状况。方法:应用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA),对HIV感染献血者检测HBsAg、抗-HCV、抗-TP。结果:133例HIV感染献血者中,HBV感染率为1.5%,HCV感染率为10.5%,梅毒感染率为7.5%。结论:曲靖市HIV感染的献血者中,并发HCV和梅毒感染率高,而并发HBV感染率较低。     

Efficiency and safety of lamivudine therapy in patients with chronic HBV infection, dialysis or after kidney transplantation

AIM: To analyze the effectiveness and safety of lamivudine treatment in patients with chronic HBV infection undergoing hemodialysis or after kidney transplantation, and to study the frequency of tyrosine - methionine - aspartate - aspartate (YMDD) mutation occurrence after lamivudine treatment. METHODS: We analyzed 91 patients with chronic hepatitis B, among whom, 16 patients underwent hemodialysis, 7 patients had kidney transplantation and 68 patients had normal function of kidney. The hemodialysis patients were treated by lamivudine 300 mg/wk. patients after kidney transplantation and patiente with normal function of kidney were treated with lamivudine 100 mg/d. Therapy lasted for 12 mo. HBV-DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg and anti-HBe, and anti-HCV antibodies were assessed in sera of patients. The analysis was performed before and 6 mo after the end of lamivudine treatment. Before, during and after the lamivudine therapy, the number of erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets and hemoglobin concentration, ALT and AST activity, as well as bilirubin, urea and creatinine concentrations were analyzed in sera from patients. RESULTS: After the 12-mo lamivudine treatment, elimination of HBV - DNA was observed in 56% patients undergoing hemodialysis and in 53% patients with normal kidney function. Only 1 from 7 (14%) kidney-transplanted patients eliminated HBV-DNA. Furthermore, HBeAg elimination was observed in 36% hemodialysis patients, in 51% patients with normal function of kidneys and in 43% kidney transplanted patients. Among the patients undergoing dialysis, no YMDD mutation was found after 12 mo of therapy, while it was detected in 9 patients (13%) with normal function of kidney and in 2 kidney-transplanted patients (29%, P<0.006). We did not observe significant side effecte of lamivudine treatment in studied patiente. CONCLUSION: Effectiveness of lamivudine therapy in dialysis patients is comparable with that in patiente with normal function of kidney. Lamivudine treatment is well tolerated and safe in patiente with renal insufficiency undergoing hemodialysis and kidney-transplantation. However, in the latter group, high incidence of YMDD mutation after lamivudine treatment was observed.     

肝病患者感染甲、乙、丙肝炎病毒情况及建议

采用 EL ISA法对菏泽地区 515例肝病患者进行血清学检测 ,以了解肝病患者感染甲、乙、丙型肝炎病毒情况。结果 :急性肝炎组中甲、乙、丙型肝炎检出率分别为 2 0 .72 %、4 1.13%、11.73% ;慢性肝病组 (慢活肝、慢迁肝、肝硬化、肝癌 )中 ,乙肝感染率 63.3%～ 83.7% ,丙肝感染率 17.3%～ 39.7%。提示甲、乙型病毒性肝炎的防治仍是急性病毒性肝炎的重点 ,丙型肝炎病毒在慢性肝病发病中的作用值得重视     

Significant increase in HBV, HCV, HIV and syphilis infections among blood donors in West Bengal, Eastern India 2004-2005： Exploratory screening reveals high frequency of occult HBV infection

AIM： To evaluate the prevalence of markers of hepatitis B virus （HBV） and hepatitis C virus （HCV） and human immunodeficiency virus （HIV） among blood donors in Kolkata, Eastern India for two consecutive years and to conduct a pilot study to explore the presence of HBV DNA among hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg） negative but anti-HBc positive blood donors.
METHODS： Seroprevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV was studied among 113051 and 106695 voluntary blood donors screened in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Moreover, a pilot study on 1027 HBsAg negative donors was carried out for evaluating the presence of HBV DNA by PCR on HBsAg negative/anti- HBc positive donors.
RESULTS： A statistically significant increase in the prevalence of HBV （1448 vs 1768, P 〈 0.001）, HIV （262 vs 374, P 〈 0.001）, HCV （314 vs 372, P = 0.003） and syphilis （772 vs 853, P = 0.001） infections was noted among blood donors of Kolkata West Bengal in 2005 as compared to 2004. Moreover, the exploratory study on 1027 HBsAg negative donors revealed that 188 （18.3%）of them were anti-HBc positive out of which 21% were positive for HBV DNA.
CONCLUSION： The findings of this study underscore the significantly increasing endemicity of hepatitis viruses, syphilis and HIV among the voluntary blood donors of our community. The pilot study indicates a high rate of prevalence of HBV DNA among HBsAg negative/anti-HBc positive donors and thus emphasizes the need for a more sensitive and stringent screening algorithm for blood donations.     

Low detection of hepatitis B and occult hepatitis B infection in patients with rheumatic diseases

Background

A new form of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, occult hepatitis B infection (OBI), has been identified and reported among patients with rheumatic diseases.