We compared the sensitivity of the polymerase chain-reaction (PCR) assay to that of slot-blot hybridization for detecting hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the serum of 31 patients with chronic hepatitis. Of 14 chronic hepatitis patients positive for both HBV surface and HBV e antigens, 9 were positive for HBV DNA by slot-blot hybridization and all 14 by PCR. Also, of 9 patients positive for HBV s...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA quantification is used to establish the prognosis of chronic HBV-related liver disease, to identify those patients who need to be treated, and to monitor the virologic response and resistance to antiviral therapies. Real-time PCR-based assays are gradually replacing other technologies for routine quantification of HBV DNA in clinical practice. The goal of this study ...

OBJECTIVE The study was designed to assess the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection scenario among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients attending a tertiary healthcare unit in eastern India. Additionally, clinical and virological characterization of these viruses, prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation was also done for better understand...

objective: occult hepatitis b infection is a form of hepatitis in which despite of absence of detectable hbsag, hbv-dna is present in peripheral blood of patients. this clinical form of b hepatitis creates some problems for the iranian blood transfusion services. therefore, the aim of this study was the evaluation of status of occult hepatitis b infection in the rafsanjanese blood donors. mate...

background: the risk of infection by transfusion-transmitted viruses has been reduced remarkably. however, a zero-risk blood supply is still desirable. the screening for antibody to hbc (anti-hbc) has been shown as an alternative test for the detection of hbv infection. objective: the main aim of this study was to evaluate hbv infection markers and the potential value of anti-hbc testing of blo...

These studies document the ability of electroporation (EP)-based DNA vaccination to induce multi-specific CTL responses to hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA vaccination in normal mice and marked immune responses to multivalent HBV DNA immunization in larger animal species. These results suggest that electroporation-mediated HBV DNA vaccination is worth pursuing as a treatment for chronic HBV infection.

AIMS--To study the geographical variation of the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative subjects. METHODS--A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to amplify the core region of HBV. The assay was able to detect 10 molecules of a full length HBV plasmid. RESULTS--When applied to HBsAg negative paraffin wax embedded liver samples ...

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic virus that can infect extrahepatic tissue. Whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can be infected by HBV and serve as a potential virus reservoir is still unknown. In this study, the susceptibility of CD34+ HSCs to HBV was investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cord blood-derived CD34+ HSCs were exposed to HBV in vitro, and immunocytochemistry, ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS We investigated the frequency of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive individuals and the effects of occult HBV infection on the severity of liver disease. METHODS Seventy-one hepatitis B virus surface-antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients were divided according to their HBV serological status into groups A (anti-HBc positive, anti-HBs ...