OBJECTIVES: To compare the influence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection on the replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by observing clinical features, the relationship between the number of HBV DNA copies in serum, the degree of hepatic function impairments and prognosis of chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatitis E superinfection. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 115 CHB patients with hepatitis E (HE) superinfection were studied and compared. 74 liver tissue biopsy samples of the CHB and 51 of the CHB-HE sufferers were obtained. HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc, anti-HBc-IgG, anti-HBc-IgM, HBV DNA and anti-HEVIgM were detected respectively by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The number of HBV DNA copies in sera in the CHB-HE group and the severity of the clinical features were significantly higher than those in the CHB group. The former group had a poorer prognosis with a 49.6% occurrence rate of severe hepatitis and a 25.2% death rate while in the latter group the corresponding rates were just 4.4% and 1.7%. CONCLUSION: Re-infection with HEV, in those CHB patients, severely damaged their hepatic functions and increased their mortality; the older the patient and the higher the level of HBV DNA, the poorer the prognosis.
OBJECTIVES: To compare the influence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection on the replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by observing clinical features, the relationship between the number of HBV DNA copies in serum, the degree of hepatic function impairments and prognosis of chronic hepatitis Bpatients with hepatitis E superinfection. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 115 CHB patients with hepatitis E (HE) superinfection were studied and compared. 74 liver tissue biopsy samples of the CHB and 51 of the CHB-HE sufferers were obtained. HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc, anti-HBc-IgG, anti-HBc-IgM, HBV DNA and anti-HEVIgM were detected respectively by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The number of HBV DNA copies in sera in the CHB-HE group and the severity of the clinical features were significantly higher than those in the CHB group. The former group had a poorer prognosis with a 49.6% occurrence rate of severe hepatitis and a 25.2% death rate while in the latter group the corresponding rates were just 4.4% and 1.7%. CONCLUSION: Re-infection with HEV, in those CHB patients, severely damaged their hepatic functions and increased their mortality; the older the patient and the higher the level of HBV DNA, the poorer the prognosis.