Occult hepatitis B infection and its possible impact on chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Peiman Habibollahi, Saeid Safari, Nasser E. Daryani, Seyed M. Alavian

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

As a well-recognized clinical phenomenon, persistent detectable viral genome in liver or sera in the absence of other serological markers for active hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication is called occult HBV infection. The main mechanism through which occult infection occurs is not completely understood and several possible explanations, such as integration into human genome and maintenance in peripheral mononuclear cells, exist. Occult HBV infection has been reported in different populations, especially among patients with Hepatitis C (HCV) related liver disease. The probable impact of occult HBV in patients with chronic HCV infection has been previously investigated and the evidence suggests a possible correlation with lower response to anti-viral treatment, higher grades of liver histological changes, and also developing hepatocellular carcinoma. However, in the absence of conclusive results, further studies should be conducted to absolutely assess the impact of occult HBV contamination on the HCV related liver disease.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)220-224
Number of pages5
JournalSaudi Journal of Gastroenterology
Volume15
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
  • Occult

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gastroenterology

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