RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B surface antigen is usually secreted by infected hepatocytes in the form of subviral particles rather than infectious virions, while the hepatitis B e antigen originates from the core gene and is modified and secreted by hepatocytes into the circulation and functions as a marker of active viral replication. This study aimed to study the relationship between HBV DNA and quantitative hepatitis B surface and e antigen in Malaysian patients. METHODS: A total of 82 chronic hepatitis B patients were recruited for this study from the Hepatology Department of Selayang Hospital. Quantitative hepatitis surface and e antigen was performed retrospectively on frozen plasma using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay according to the manufacturer's instructions. Hepatitis B viral DNA was extracted from all plasma samples and quantified using real-time PCR. RESULTS: Quantitative hepatitis B surface and e antigens were found be high in 54.9% and 52.4% of the patients, respectively, while hepatitis B virus DNA level was high in 70.7%. The median of the viral load of HBV was 8,934.89 IU/mL and both hepatitis B surface and e antigens were also found to be high on average for qHBsAg (M = 5.19 IU/mL, SD ± 4. 33) and qHBeAg (M = 4.74IU/mL, SD ± 4.20), with qHBeAg being more strongly correlated to HBV DNA than qHBsAg (r = 0.893; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed HBeAg to be the most appropriate marker that correlates well with HBV DNA, thus not completely novel but confirmative, and related to the Malaysian situation.
Asunto(s)
Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/sangre , Antígenos e de la Hepatitis B/sangre , Hepatitis B Crónica/sangre , Adulto , Biomarcadores/sangre , Estudios Transversales , ADN Viral/sangre , ADN Viral/genética , Femenino , Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/genética , Antígenos e de la Hepatitis B/genética , Virus de la Hepatitis B/genética , Virus de la Hepatitis B/fisiología , Hepatitis B Crónica/diagnóstico , Hepatitis B Crónica/virología , Humanos , Malasia , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Occult hepatitis B infections are becoming a major global threat, but the available data on its prevalence in various parts of the world are often divergent. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to detect occult hepatitis B virus in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative serum using anti-HBc as a marker of previous infection. PATIENT AND METHODS: A total of 1000 randomly selected hepatitis B surface antigen-negative sera from blood donors were tested for hepatitis B core antibody and hepatitis B surface antibody using an ELISA and nested polymerase chain reaction was done using primers specific to the surface gene (S-gene). RESULTS: Of the 1000 samples 55 (5.5%) were found to be reactive, of which 87.3% (48/55) were positive for hepatitis B surface antibody, indicating immunity as a result of previous infection however, that does not exclude active infection with escaped mutant HBV. Nested PCR results showed the presence of hepatitis B viral DNA in all the 55 samples that were positive for core protein, which is in agreement with the hepatitis B surface antibody result. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the 5.5% prevalence of occult hepatitis B among Malaysian blood donors as well as the reliability of using hepatitis B core antibody in screening for occult hepatitis B infection in low endemic, low socioeconomic settings.