Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction in HBsAG negative Senegalese patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary liver cancer

Abstract

The polymerase chain reaction was used to search for hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐DNA sequences in the sera of HBsAg‐negative Senegalese patients suffering from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Amplified HBV‐DNA sequences were detected by hybridization with a digoxigenin‐labelled HBV‐DNA probe. HBV‐DNA was detected in 17% of HBsAg negative Senegalese subjects from the general population and in 44% and 58% of the patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHCC) respectively. In the control group, amplified HBV‐DNA was detected in 25% of the subjects without HBsAg and anti‐HBs antibodies, and in 6% of subjects positive for anti‐HBs antibodies. This study confirmed the hypothesis that there is an etiologic link between HBV and PHCC in HBsAg‐negative patients.

Virologic Analysis of Non‐B, Non‐C Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Japan: Frequent Involvement of Hepatitis B Virus

“…HBV DNA has been reported in the serum or liver of HBsAg Ϫ , non-B HCC patients [5][6][7][8][9][10][11], but the prevalence of HBV DNA is not yet clear in non-B, non-C HCC patients, who lack both HBsAg and anti-HCV in serum. In studies that used the PCR technique, HBV DNA was detected in 30%-50% of the serum or liver samples from non-B HCC patients, some of whom were also positive for HCV RNA [9][10][11].…”

“…In Japan, about 5% of HCC patients are "non-B, non-C" [1]. The HBV genome can be detected in persons with chronic liver disease in the absence of circulating HBsAg [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. In a subset of these patients, HBV DNA or its replicative intermediate RNA is detected, although the prevalence varies among studies.…”

“…In a subset of these patients, HBV DNA or its replicative intermediate RNA is detected, although the prevalence varies among studies. A substantial number of HCC patients with HCV infection, however, may have been included in previous studies [5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

Occult hepatitis B virus infection and its clinical implications

“…The frequency of occult HBV infection varies significantly in patients with HCC [21,117–120]. The prevalence of anti‐HBc/anti‐HBs was 43% in these patients [21]; whereas, the prevalence of HBV‐DNA varied from 5% to 80% [21,75,117–120]. Increased risk of developing HCC was also reported in individuals with anti‐HBs as the only marker of past HBV infection [121].…”

Chronic liver disease mortality attributable to hepatitis B and C in New Zealand

“…Another potential and opposing bias was that HBsAg reported viral testing probably underestimated the true prevalence of HBV exposure among CLD cases. For example, HBV‐DNA has been found in HCC tumors and the serum of non‐HBsAg carriers; 19–21 it is highly likely that HBV caused these HCC tumors, despite those cases not being found to be HBsAg carriers on routine blood tests. A similar misclassification bias may operate with the detection of HCV.…”