AIMS/OBJECTIVES/BACKGROUND Individuals with current or previous infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) can experience viral reactivation when treated with immunosuppression. Rituximab, an anti-CD20 antibody used to treat many diseases, has potent immunosuppressant effects with a high risk of causing HBV reactivation. Reactivation can range from elevated liver enzymes to acute severe hepatit...

Background: In patients who are hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA-positive, but HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) -negative, the infection is referred to as occult hepatitis B infection (OBI). Occult HBV infection is harmful when other liver diseases are present, and can aggravate liver damage in in patients with chronic liver diseases. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection the suppression of vir...

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a public health problem. The lack of information about the seroprevalence and risk factors is an obstacle for preventive public health plans to reduce the burden of viral hepatitis. Therefore, this study was conducted in Iraq, where no studies had been performed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HBV infection. Methods: Blood sample...

IntroductionHepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in kidney transplant recipients has been reported 3% to 9% of anti-HBc antibody (HBcAb)-positive HBs antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients. It not studied patients receiving belatacept, a selective costimulation blocker.MethodsWe performed retrospective study all belatacept 2 transplantation centers France. Among HBcAb-positive patients, we analyzed ...

This study aimed to investigate the virological status in liver (both tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissue), the clinical features and the contribution of occult HBV infection (OBI) to postoperative prognosis in HBeAg-negative(-) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients in China. Using quantitative TaqMan fluorescent real-time PCR assays, HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and total DNA ...

BACKGROUND Infant immunization against hepatitis B began in Uganda in 2002. OBJECTIVE To determine the baseline prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and explore risk factors. METHODS A hepatitis B prevalence study was nested in the 2005 national HIV/AIDS serobehavioural survey. Demographic characteristics and risk factors were explored by questionnaire. One third of blood specime...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common and serious liver infection in the world. An estimated 350 million people are chronic carriers of this virus, of whom, more than 620,000 die from liver-related diseases annually. Due to the vaccination program, prevalence of HBV, particularly among the younger generation, is reported to have declined in recent years in Iran. OBJE...

BACKGROUND To assess the economic aspects of HBV (hepatitis B virus) transmission prevention for premarriage individuals in a country with cultural backgrounds like Iran and intermediate endemicity of HBV infection. METHODS A cost-effectiveness analysis model was used from the health care system and society perspectives. The effectiveness was defined as the number of chronic HBV infections av...

BACKGROUND Rituximab has been associated with hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBV-R). However, the characteristics and scope of this association remain largely undefined. METHODS We completed a comprehensive literature search of all published rituximab-associated HBV-R cases and from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) MedWatch database. Literature and...