These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: Appearance of HbeAg in an occult persistent hepatitis B virus infection.
    Author: Paparella C, De Rosa F, Longo R, Cappiello G, Ursitti A, Rosa M, Morosetti M, Spanò A.
    Journal: Intervirology; 2010; 53(3):173-5. PubMed ID: 20130415.
    Abstract:
    Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is characterized by the presence of ongoing viral replication with very low levels of viremia (<200 IU/ml), and negativity for HBsAg, while the so-called 'false' OBI with higher levels of HBV-DNA that are negative for HBsAg are usually due to the occurrence of mutations of the HBsAg sequence that may alter the recognition by some immunoassays. We describe here a case of occult HBV infection that combines both aspects. A male patient with severe systemic diseases, positive for anti-HBc and anti-HBs and negative for all other HBV markers, including HBsAg, since at least 4 years, showed a positivity for HBeAg at a follow-up control in November 2008; HBV-DNA testing by real-time PCR evidenced very low levels of viremia (<40 IU/ml), direct sequencing of the surface antigen-coding and Pol/RT coding regions allowed the identification of genotype D, serotype adw2, one immune escape mutation (G145R) and no drug resistance mutations. The positivity for HBeAg could be attributed to a superinfection in a naturally immune subject or to reactivation of a latent infection; the mutated virus had a reduced fitness and was therefore able to replicate only at low levels, resulting in a mild form of occult HBV infection.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]