[Occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic viral hepatitis patients with non-A to E hepatitis virus infection].

Objective To observe the status of occuh hepatitis B virus infection in chronic viral hepatitis patients with non-A to E hepatitis virus infection and explore the diagnostic value of fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) technique for occult hepatitis B virus infection. Methods The amount of HBV-DNA in serum and liver tissue from 57 patients with non-A to E hepatitis virus infection who were diagnosed as chronic viral hepatitis by Menghini method liver biopsy were detected by using FQ-PCR technique,then the relation between the viral load of HBV DNA in liver tissue and hepatic inflammatory activity were analyzed.Results Thirteen (22.81% ),22 (38.60%) patients were positive for HBV DNA in serum and liver tissue,respectively.The positive rate and the level of HBV DNA quantity in liver tissue were significantly higher than those in serum;HBV DNA was found positive in both serum and liver tissue in 13 cases,negative in both serum and liver tissue in 35,positive in liver tissue but negative in serum in 9,and in none of the cases HBV DNA was positive in serum but negative in liver tissue ( P<0.01 ).The logarithmic value of HBV DNA from 13 patients in liver tissue and in serum was respectively:(6.62±1.21 ) copies/g vs.(4.03±1.06) copies/ml,P < 0.01.The hepatic lesions of all HBV DNA positive patients were active pathologic changes,but the level of HBV DNA in liver tissue was not significantly correlated with the grade of hepatic inflammation activity ( P0.05 ).Conclusion Occult HBV infection is the etiology of part of the chronic viral hepatitis patients with non-A-E hepatitis virus infection.Missed diagnosis will occur if diagnosis of hepatitis B is only hased on detection of serum HBV markers. It is useful for improvement of the diagnostic level of HBV infection via detection of HBV DNA quantitatively in serum especially in liver tissue of chronic viral hepatitis with non-A-E hepatitis virus infection by using FQ-PCR technique The chronic viral hepatitis patients occult HBV infection should be also given effective anti-viral therapy. Key words: Polymerase China Reaction; Hepatitis,Viral,human; Hepatitis B Virus