Hsing-Yu Chen1, Tung-Hung Su1, Tai-Chung Tseng1, Wan-Ting Yang1, Ting-Chih Chen1, Pei-Jer Chen2, Ding-Shinn Chen2, Jia-Horng Kao2, Chun-Jen Liu3. 1. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: cjliu@ntu.edu.tw.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/ PURPOSE: Occult hepatitis B infection (OHB) is not rare in countries that are endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Notably, OHB has been shown to play a role in the progression of liver diseases, including the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the data is inconsistent. We aim to clarify the contribution of concurrent OHB to the progression of liver diseases in a long-term cohort of patients with HCV infection and to investigate the value of total anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) antibody as a surrogate OHB biomarker. METHODS: We included 250 chronic anti-HCV-positive patients who had resolved HBV infection (anti-HBc positive and hepatitis B surface antigen negative). OHB was then detected using a sensitive commercial assay for serum HBV DNA with a low limit of detection of 6 IU/mL. Clinical outcomes, including the development of liver cirrhosis, HCC, and all-cause deaths, were compared between OHB-positive and OHB-negative patients. RESULTS: At baseline, only 183 (73.20%) patients had positive HCV ribonucleic acid, and 56 (30.60%) of these 183 patients with active HCV infection had OHB. The presence of OHB did not correlate with any adverse clinical outcome in multivariate analyses. In addition, chronic hepatitis C patients with OHB did not have a higher level of serum total anti-HBc. CONCLUSION: OHB infection may not contribute to the development of adverse liver outcomes in patients with chronic HCV.
BACKGROUND/ PURPOSE:Occult hepatitis B infection (OHB) is not rare in countries that are endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Notably, OHB has been shown to play a role in the progression of liver diseases, including the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the data is inconsistent. We aim to clarify the contribution of concurrent OHB to the progression of liver diseases in a long-term cohort of patients with HCV infection and to investigate the value of total anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) antibody as a surrogate OHB biomarker. METHODS: We included 250 chronic anti-HCV-positive patients who had resolved HBV infection (anti-HBc positive and hepatitis B surface antigen negative). OHB was then detected using a sensitive commercial assay for serum HBV DNA with a low limit of detection of 6 IU/mL. Clinical outcomes, including the development of liver cirrhosis, HCC, and all-cause deaths, were compared between OHB-positive and OHB-negative patients. RESULTS: At baseline, only 183 (73.20%) patients had positive HCV ribonucleic acid, and 56 (30.60%) of these 183 patients with active HCV infection had OHB. The presence of OHB did not correlate with any adverse clinical outcome in multivariate analyses. In addition, chronic hepatitis Cpatients with OHB did not have a higher level of serum total anti-HBc. CONCLUSION:OHB infection may not contribute to the development of adverse liver outcomes in patients with chronic HCV.
Authors: Olivia A Collis; Patrycja A Ashley; Li-Hsieh Chen; Kathryn L Pedula; Shelley M Miyashiro; Shellie K Yamashita Journal: Hawaii J Health Soc Welf Date: 2022-05
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