In Korea, the majority of chronic liver disease is due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) but nonA, nonB (NANB) hepatitis is another main cause of this disease spectrum. Recently, the etiologic agent of NANB hepatitis was detected as hepatitis C virus
and
the
serologic diagnosis for NANB hepatitis has been developed. The positivity of anti-HCV has been reported highly in the various NANB liver diseases, but some of them showed negative results in the ser5ologic test of HCV. Although they were negative
for
HBsAg, negative results in the serologic test of HCV. Although they were negative for HBsAg, negative resutlts in the serologic test of HCV. Although they were negative for HBsAg, the etiologic role of hepatitis B virus could not be excluded in
these
patients who were negative for anti-HCV.
We used the nested PCR (polymerized chain reaction) for detection of HBV DNA in the serum of 22 such patients who were negative for anti-HCV and HBsAg. The Patients were diagnosed as chronic NANB hepatitis clinically at Kyung Hee University
Hospital.
HBV DNA was detected in 6 of the 22 patients, including 4 of the 14 with HBV antibodies (anti-HBc and HBsAb) and 2 of 7 without HBV serologic markers. Our investigation indicated that HBV could be an etiologic role in some of patients with
chronic
NANB
patients who were negative for hepatitis surface antigen especially in the absence of anti-HCV. Southern blot hybridization shoud be performed to conform these results and HCV PCR would be needed to evaluate the mixed infection in these patients.
|